Report

Recently, a study was conducted on 2,000 food handlers in Kozhikode district, Kerala, revealing significant workplace health issues, such as typhoid, skin infections, jaundice, cuts, and burns. The study was part of the Sanitation and Fitness Evaluation (SAFE) initiative, led by the Department of Community Medicine at KMCT Medical College, Mukkom, in collaboration with the Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association. The program aimed to monitor food workers’ health, improve food safety, and protect public health. The participants received health cards valid for one year.

Demographics and Health Conditions of Food Handlers

The study involved 15.6% women, with an average age of 39.86 years. Around 20.1% of the food workers came from outside Kerala. The majority worked as cooks (49.4%) or food servers (28.4%). The study found work-related health issues among food handlers, including paronychia, a finger or toe infection that affects the area around the nail (6.1%), contact dermatitis (3%), cuts (3.3%), burns (2%), and onychomycosis, a fungal infection of the nail. (1.1%). In addition, 2.5% of the participants reported communicable diseases like fever, while 0.3% experienced vomiting, and 0.2% had diarrhea. Furthermore, 7.4% of the food handlers reported a history of jaundice, and 1.4% had a history of typhoid.

Vaccination Rates and Laboratory Findings

The study revealed low vaccination rates among the food handlers. While 35.7% had received the tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccine, only 9.1% had been vaccinated for typhoid, and 2.1% for Hepatitis A. Laboratory tests showed that 7.6% of participants were reactive for Salmonella typhi ‘O,’ which causes typhoid fever. Additionally, 0.2% tested positive for Hepatitis B surface antigen, indicating potential Hepatitis B infection.

Increase in Food-Borne Diseases in Kozhikode

According to media reports, food-borne disease rates in Kozhikode increased from 5.3% in 2022 to 10.1% in 2023, as reported by the Health Department’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme. Nearly 50% of all disease outbreaks now result from tainted food. The study stressed the importance of tracking food handlers’ health and implementing vaccination strategies to prevent the spread of food-borne diseases, particularly Hepatitis A.

Training Camps for Food Handlers

To address these health issues, training camps were held for food handlers, led by T. Jayakrishnan, Sruthikrishna P, and Abhin. Vijish Venugopal, principal of KMCT Medical College, presented the study findings to P.K. Sasidharan, former head of the Medicine & Hematology department at Government Medical College, Kozhikode. The study emphasizes improving food safety practices and health standards among food handlers in the region.

Source: The Hindu