Microbial Foodborne Poisoning-Related Deaths: A 10-Year Retrospective Autopsy-Based Study

Abstract

Aim: This study aims to evaluate foodborne death cases from a forensic medical perspective and to conduct a retrospective analysis based on autopsy findings. Material and Method: A total of 36 cases reported to the Council of Forensic Medicine between 2014 and 2024, in which the cause of death was determined to be foodborne illness, were included. Sociodemographic data, clinical history, autopsy findings, microbiological analyses, and toxicological reports were reviewed. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program with the Chi-square test used for categorical data comparisons (p<0.05 considered statistically significant). Results: Most deaths occurred in summer months and following the consumption of poultry, particularly chicken. In 58.3% of cases, no microbiological analysis of food samples was conducted. Among the analyzed samples, the most frequently detected pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., and Bacillus cereus. Significant associations were found between hospital admission and histopathological enteritis (p=0.031), presence of food analysis in mass poisoning events (p=0.022), and consistency of pathogens with Ministry of Agriculture reports (p=0.0005). Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of ensuring food safety, conducting comprehensive forensic autopsies, and enhancing inter-institutional coordination to protect public health.

Keywords

• foodborne diseases
• forensic autopsy
• microbiological analysis
• bacillus cereus; public health

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