Environment-linked enteric disease remains an important environmental and public-health challenge shaped by contaminated food and water, sanitation, food handling, climate variability, and host susceptibility. Updated World Health Organization (WHO) estimates indicate that foodborne transmission of 42 infectious and chemical hazards caused approximately 866 million illnesses, 1.52 million deaths, and 57.1 million disability-adjusted life-years in 2021; children younger than five years experienced a disproportionate burden. This narrative review synthesizes international evidence and examines publicly available surveillance and outbreak information relevant to Kosovo, focusing on environmental determinants, laboratory capacity, food-chain monitoring, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), climate-related risks, and One Health approaches. The literature indicates that effective prevention requires coordinated surveillance across human health, veterinary services, food safety, and environmental monitoring. Public reporting on the July 2026 Prishtina outbreak described 74 epidemiologically linked cases, 29 hospitalizations, and Salmonella Enteritidis detected in patient samples; food and environmental samples were reported as negative, and the definitive source was not established in the available report (Telegrafi, 2026). The event illustrates the importance of rapid detection, timely sampling, source tracing, and transparent risk communication. Priorities for Kosovo include strengthening laboratory and epidemiological capacity, improving data interoperability, expanding food-chain surveillance, and developing climate-sensitive, genomic, and One Health approaches appropriate to national resources.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
