Ahiabor Wisdom K, Kotey Fleischer C N, Tetteh-Quarcoo Patience B, Donkor Eric S
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.
Environ Health Insights. 2024 Jul 24;18:11786302241260485. doi: 10.1177/11786302241260485. eCollection 2024.
Foodborne diseases pose a significant public health threat, particularly in regions with poor sanitation and food handling practices. These diseases, mainly caused by microbiological hazards like bacteria, fungi, and parasites, affect millions globally. Despite the global burden, the true extent of these hazards remains underestimated, especially in low- and middle-income countries like Ghana. This study aimed to map the available literature on foodborne microbiological hazards in Ghana, providing an overview of the evidence and identifying areas where further research is needed.
This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews. A detailed search was done in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, and articles were exported to Rayyan for screening. A three-phase screening process was used to identify relevant articles. Data from the included articles were extracted and analysed, with specific information related to food type, specific hazards, sample population, and hazard groups summarised using proportions and tables.
This review included 72 studies which were published between 2001 and 2023. Eighty-five percent of these studies (85%) reported on bacterial hazards, while 19%, 11%, and 6% reported on fungi, parasites, and mycotoxins, respectively. The most reported bacterial, fungal, and parasitic hazards were , spp. and , respectively. Aflatoxins were reported in maize, groundnut, and spices, with prevalence ranging from 61% to 100% and at levels exceeding standards set by Ghana Standards Authority and European Food Safety Authority.
This review highlighted the spectrum of microbiological hazards in foods in Ghana. The hazards identified pose significant public health risks, particularly among vulnerable populations. It is crucial that stricter enforcement of food safety laws and improved food handling practices are implemented in the country, particularly in the informal food sector, to protect consumers.
食源性疾病对公众健康构成重大威胁，尤其是在卫生条件差和食品处理方式不当的地区。这些疾病主要由细菌、真菌和寄生虫等微生物危害引起，全球数百万人受到影响。尽管存在全球负担，但这些危害的真实程度仍被低估，尤其是在加纳等低收入和中等收入国家。本研究旨在梳理加纳食源性微生物危害的现有文献，概述相关证据并确定需要进一步研究的领域。
本综述遵循系统评价和Meta分析扩展版的范围综述的首选报告项目。在PubMed、Scopus、科学网和谷歌学术上进行了详细搜索，并将文章导出到Rayyan进行筛选。采用三阶段筛选过程来识别相关文章。提取并分析纳入文章的数据，使用比例和表格总结与食物类型、特定危害、样本群体和危害类别相关的具体信息。
本综述纳入了2001年至2023年发表的72项研究。其中85%的研究报告了细菌危害，而分别有19%、11%和6%的研究报告了真菌、寄生虫和霉菌毒素危害。报告最多的细菌、真菌和寄生虫危害分别是 、 属和 。玉米、花生和香料中报告有黄曲霉毒素，其检出率在61%至100%之间，且含量超过了加纳标准局和欧洲食品安全局设定的标准。
本综述突出了加纳食品中微生物危害的范围。所识别出的危害对公众健康构成重大风险，尤其是在弱势群体中。该国必须更严格地执行食品安全法律并改善食品处理方式，特别是在非正规食品部门，以保护消费者。
