[Abolishing mandatory routine medical and laboratory examination of food handlers may have influenced the reporting trends of foodborne diseases? Frequency of notified foodborne illnesses in Southern Italy from 1996 to 2009]

The aim of this study is to compare notifications of foodborne diseases in Southern Italy, before and after abolishing mandatory medical and laboratory examination routine. Data were obtained from the National Epidemiological Report of Health Ministry, that includes the annual summaries of foodborne infectious illnesses notified in Italy. The average number of foodborne diseases per million inhabitants per year decreased after the abolishment of health card for all examined conditions. There was a statistically significant reduction in all Regions for Salmonellosis and in Basilicata, Calabria, Campania and Sicily for Brucellosis. Abolishing health card of food handlers workers did not increase trends of foodborne illnesses and foodborne epidemics in Southern Italy. Examined data confirm the substantial effectiveness of food handlers self-control and training as essentials instruments of Evidence Based Prevention.