Lee Brendan
School of Veterinary Medicine, Saint Matthews University, Grand Cayman, KY1-1204, Cayman Islands.
Vet Sci. 2017 Aug 11;4(3):40. doi: 10.3390/vetsci4030040.
The Caribbean is a net importer of food, and with billions of dollars' worth of food products being imported each year, territorial governments are now seeking to encourage local production of foods in an attempt to stem the loss of foreign exchange from these economies with little resilience. The Caribbean, however, lacks the comprehensive food safety system that should be a corollary to successful food production. Regional authorities underestimate the burden of foodborne diseases especially on its workforce and major economic base, the tourism industry. Anecdotally after every mass event in the region, many officially unreported cases of gastroenteritis are recognized. This short communication makes the argument of the importance of food borne illnesses specific to the Caribbean, and improvements that could be made to surveillance to reduce negative outcomes associated with the food supply chain.
加勒比地区是食品净进口地区，每年有价值数十亿美元的食品被进口，各属地政府现正寻求鼓励本地食品生产，以试图阻止这些缺乏韧性的经济体的外汇流失。然而，加勒比地区缺乏与成功的食品生产相辅相成的全面食品安全体系。地区当局低估了食源性疾病的负担，尤其是对其劳动力和主要经济支柱旅游业的负担。据传闻，该地区每次举办大型活动后，都会发现许多官方未报告的肠胃炎病例。本短文阐述了加勒比地区特有的食源性疾病的重要性，以及为减少与食品供应链相关的负面后果而在监测方面可做出的改进。
