Economic Impact of a Food Borne Disease Outbreak in Hyderabad - A Case Study

Food borne diseases are one of the most widespread health problems in both developed and developing countries'. World Health Organization (WHO) has concluded that despite improvements in many areas, food borne disease caused by microbiological hazards and chemical contaminants continues to be a growing public health concern. Food borne diseases in general have caused a major economic impact not only within the food industry but also within the society. Even in developed countries efforts to quantify the economic impact of food borne illness are comparatively recent and it is clear that food borne illness is one of the major burdens on the economy. Costs accrue from different sources and are incurred both by the individual and by society at large. These costs include loss of income by the affected individuals, cost of health care, loss of productivity due to absenteesm, costs incurred by investigation of an outbreak, loss of income due to closure of business and loss of sales when consumers avoid particular product, in 1989 it was estimated that the total economic burden due to bacterial food borne illness on United States economy was 6.77 billions.