Temporal and Regional Trends of Foodborne Diseases in Saudi Arabia (2015–2023): A Nationwide Retrospective Analysis

Foodborne diseases (FBDs) are a significant public health burden, particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to analyze the incidence rate (IR), temporal trends, seasonal variations, and demographic and regional distribution of notifiable foodborne diseases in Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2023. A nationwide retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing aggregate-level data obtained from the annual statistical reports published by the Saudi Ministry of Health on six notifiable foodborne and food-associated enteric diseases in Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2023: salmonellosis, enteric fever (paratyphoid and typhoid), amoebic dysentery, bacillary dysentery, hepatitis A, and brucellosis. IRs were stratified by age, gender, year, season, and administrative areas. Linear regression was used to assess temporal trends. Percentage difference (PD) and year-on-year (YoY) changes were calculated. A total of 16,956 FBD cases were reported between 2015 and 2023, corresponding to a period cumulative incidence of 50.58 per 100,000 population over the 9-year period. Among the study population, the highest burden was observed among individuals aged 20–49 years (44.4%), and males (52%). Public food sources accounted for 68.5% of reported infections. The administrative areas with the highest IR per 100,000 were Ha’il (3.15), Bishah (2.46), and Northern Region (2.25). Seasonal peaks occurred in summer and fall. From 2015 to 2023, Salmonellosis incidence increased by 123.2%, while Amoebic Dysentery declined by 49.8%. Bacillary Dysentery and Hepatitis A showed fluctuating trends, and Brucellosis showed an overall decrease of 11.4%. However, none of the annual trends reached statistical significance (p > 0.05). FBDs remain a substantial health concern in Saudi Arabia, with notable regional disparities, particularly in Ha’il, Bishah, and the Northern Region, which recorded the highest average event rates over the nine-year period. Our findings highlight the need for enhanced surveillance, public education, and targeted food safety interventions, especially in high-incidence administrative areas and among vulnerable populations, including young children, and males, each of whom exhibited elevated disease IR.