Sains Malaysiana 49(7)(2020): 1627-1638

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2020-4907-14

Spatial Analysis of Food and Waterborne Diseases in Sabah, Malaysia

(Analisis Reruang bagi Penyakit Bawaan Makanan dan Air di Sabah, Malaysia)

SYED SHARIZMAN SYED ABDUL RAHIM¹*, SHAMSUL AZHAR SHAH², SHAHARUDIN IDRUS³, ZAHIR IZUAN AZHAR⁴, MOHD ROHAIZAT HASSAN² & NAZARUDIN SAFIAN²

¹Department of Community and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

²Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 56000 Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia

³Institute for Environmental and Development, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

⁴Department of Population Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 15 February 2019/Accepted: 6 March 2020

ABSTRACT

Food and waterborne disease (FWBD) epidemic can produce devastating public health outcomes. From 1990 to 2006, the annual notifications for FWBDs in Malaysia ranged from 2,000 to about 10,000 cases. The purpose of this study was to describe the spatial epidemiology of FWBDs in four districts of Sabah from the year 2011 to 2014. This study was a retrospective review of four years (i.e. 2011 to 2014) worth of data from Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Putatan, and Papar districts. All reported cases of cholera, dysentery, food poisoning, typhoid, and viral hepatitis A from these areas and district health offices were included. Coordinates for the locations of the cases were based on home addresses. Among a total of 1997 cases of FWBDs, food poisoning was the highest reported disease with 1787 (89.4%) cases. Kota Kinabalu had the most reported cases of FWBDs with 1368 (68.5%). In the year 2012, FWBD incidence was the highest at 16.44 per 10,000 populations. Kernel density estimation demonstrated hot spots of food poisoning and cholera in the western areas near the coast, while typhoid and viral hepatitis A cases had minimal hot spots and appeared to be dispersed. Average nearest neighbour analysis showed clusters of food poisoning and cholera cases. Further analysis with the nearest neighbour hierarchical spatial clustering presented 32 clusters of food poisoning and 7 clusters of cholera. Food poisoning and cholera usually occur in clusters. From these findings, it can be concluded that these areas, food poisoning, and cholera have significant spatial clustering and patterns. Meanwhile, other FWBDs did not occur in clusters for this study. This indicates the possibility of under-reporting or real dispersion of cases brought about by an efficient mechanism of spread from a common source.

Keywords: Cluster; foodborne; GIS; spatial analysis; waterborne

ABSTRAK

Epidemik penyakit bawaan makanan dan air (FWBD) boleh mengakibatkan masalah kesihatan awam. Dari tahun 1990 hingga 2006, dilaporkan bahawa bilangan kes tahunannya berada dalam lingkungan 2,000 hingga 10,000 kes. Tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk menghuraikan epidemilogi ruang bagi penyakit bawaan makanan dan air di empat buah daerah di Sabah dari tahun 2011 hingga 2014. Sorotan retrospektif ini melibatkan data selama 4 tahun (2011 hingga 2014) yang dikutip daripada Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Putatan dan Papar, Sabah. Semua kes kolera, disentri, keracunan makanan, tifoid dan hepatitis A virus yang dilaporkan oleh pejabat kesihatan kawasan dan daerah dikaji. Koordinat bagi lokasi kes adalah berdasarkan alamat rumah. Daripada sejumlah 1,997 kes FWBD, keracunan makanan dilaporkan sebagai kes yang paling tinggi dengan 1,787 (89.4%) kes. Kota Kinabalu merekodkan bilangan kes yang paling tinggi, iaitu 1,368 (68.5%). Bilangan kes FWBD adalah paling tinggi pada tahun 2012 dengan catatan 16.44 per 10,000 populasi. Anggaran kepadatan Kernel menunjukkan bahawa kawasan yang mencatatkan kes keracunan makanan dan kolera tertinggi adalah di bahagian barat berhampiran pantai. Kes-kes tifoid dan hepatitis A virus tidak banyak dilaporkan di kebanyakan kawasan dan kelihatan berselerak. Analisis jiran terdekat purata menunjukkan kelompok bagi kes-kes keracunan makanan dan kolera sahaja. Analisis lanjut melalui pengkelompokan ruang hierarki jiran terdekat menunjukkan 32 kelompok bagi kes keracunan makanan dan 7 kelompok bagi kes kolera. Keracunan makanan dan kolera biasanya berlaku secara berkelompok. Keputusan daripada kajian ini menunjukkan kes keracunan makanan dan kolera mempunyai ciri-ciri kelompok dan corak reruang yang signifikan. Sementara itu, penyakit bawaan makanan dan air lain bagi kajian ini tidak berlaku secara berkelompok. Ini mungkin disebabkan terdapat kes yang tidak dilaporkan atau kes berselerak sahih berlaku dan merebak dengan cepat berasal daripada punca yang sama.

Kata kunci: Analisis ruang; bawaan air; bawaan makanan; GIS; kelompok

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*Corresponding author; email: syedsharizman@gmail.com