CDC Report Shows Progress and Gaps in Reducing Foodborne Illnesses

Preliminary Incidence and Trends of Infections with Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food — Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 10 U.S. Sites, 2006–2017 | MMWR

CDC Report Shows Progress and Gaps in Reducing Foodborne Illnesses

Reducing foodborne illness depends in part on identifying which illnesses are decreasing and which are increasing. Yet recent changes in the use of tests that diagnose foodborne illness pose challenges to monitoring illnesses and assessing trends, according to a report published today in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Rapid diagnostic tests help doctors diagnose infections quicker than traditional culture methods, which require growing bacteria to determine what is causing illness. These culture-independent tests are revealing many infections that likely would not have been diagnosed in the past because of limited testing. But without a bacterial culture, public health officials cannot get the detailed information needed to detect and prevent foodborne disease outbreaks, monitor disease trends, and identify antibiotic resistance. Key Findings The MMWR article includes the most recent data from CDC’s Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, or FoodNet, which collects data on 15 percent of the U.S. population. It summarizes preliminary 2017 data on nine germs spread commonly through food. In 2017, FoodNet reported 24,484 infections, 5,677 hospitalizations, and 122 deaths. The most frequent causes of infection in 2017 were Salmonella and Campylobacter, which is consistent with previous years. Although the incidence of Salmonella infections overall did not change significantly, infections caused by Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Heidelberg has been decreasing for more than a decade, with overall declines of more than 40 percent for both. Infections caused by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli also have decreased during the past 10 years. These findings suggest targeted control measures are effective in reducing infections. Read other key findings

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