ABSTRACT
I. ESTIMATED RATE OF ILLNESS The southern African region comprises Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. With a few exceptions there is a paucity of information on foodborne diseases from this region for a number of reasons. First, there is a shortage of resources for adequate investigation of disease outbreaks; second, enteric infections are predominantly waterborne due to inadequate water supply or treatment in many areas, and as such take precedence in reporting; and third, countries that are dependent on foreign currency from agricultural exports may be reluctant to convey negative perceptions relating to their products. Disease statistics of most countries do not differentiate between foodborne and waterborne diseases or other routes of transmission. For instance, reports of anthrax in ministerial bulletins may not clarify whether the disease was cutaneous, inhalational, or gastrointestinal.
