Food Poisoning (Foodborne Outbreak):
A case of food poisoning refers to an incident where two or more individuals develop similar symptoms after consuming the same food. If symptoms of poisoning caused by botulinum toxin are present and the toxin is detected in human specimens, or if the same type of pathogenic bacteria or toxin is detected in suspected food samples, or if acute food poisoning (e.g., due to chemicals or natural toxins) occurs from food consumption—even if only one individual is affected—it is still considered a food poisoning case. A case inferred to be caused by food consumption through epidemiological investigation is also considered a food poisoning case.
Etiologic Agent:
This refers to the cause of the disease. For example, in the case of food poisoning, if an investigation and testing confirm that Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the causative pathogen, then Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the etiologic agent.
Vehicle (Cause/Carrier Food): This refers to the food responsible for causing the illness, also known as the carrier food. For example, in a case of food poisoning, if investigation or epidemiological study confirms that a certain type of food consumed by the patient caused the illness, that food is referred to as the vehicle or cause food.