Foodborne illnesses increase in 2022

In the United States, infections caused by major foodborne pathogens are responsible for an estimated 9.4 million illnesses, 56,000 hospitalizations and 1,350 deaths, according to the CDC.¹

And a new study published in the latest issue of the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report states that foodborne illnesses have increased in 2022 compared to previous years. Specifically, in the past year, these types of illnesses have generally returned to or exceeded levels seen in 2016-2018, the study authors reported.

“In 2022, FoodNet identified higher incidences of Shiga toxin production Escherichia coli, Yersinia, Vibrio, And Cyclospora infections compared to 2016-2018. Campylobacter, Salmonella, ShigellaAnd Listeria the implications have not changed.

FoodNet is an active surveillance network that tracks trends in common foodborne infections. There are a number of organizations involved in this, including the CDC, 10 state health departments, the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the FDA. This is not a comprehensive report across the United States, but a meaningful overview of incidence rates and what is observed. In addition, it has long been believed that foodborne illnesses are under-reported.²

The CDC authors noted that the incidence of infection was highest for Campylobacter followed by Salmonella Pathogens. Poultry is the source of Campylobacter infections and is also estimated to be the most common US source of Salmonella infections.

“The percentage of bacterial infections diagnosed using [culture-independent diagnostic test (CIDT)] increased from 49% in 2016-2018 to 73% in 2022,” the authors wrote. “The percentage of bacterial infections diagnosed using CIDT alone increased from 26% in 2016-2018 to 41% in 2022.”

The authors noted that greater use of CIDT likely contributed to increased detection by identifying infections that would have gone undetected prior to the widespread use of CIDT.

“No progress in reducing the incidence of enteric infections was observed in 2022, as the influences of the COVID-19 pandemic subsided,” the authors wrote. “Collaboration between food producers, processors, retail stores, restaurants and regulators is needed to reduce pathogen contamination during poultry slaughter and to prevent contamination of leafy greens .”

Summer brings opportunities for foodborne pathogens
Although the 4th of July falls on a Tuesday this year, this weekend marks the unofficial start of the holiday celebration. Many people will attend barbecues, picnics and events where food will be available.

And with these events, food can sit out in the heat of the day, sometimes for hours at a time. And with that comes the increased risk of foodborne illnesses. If that potato salad has been sitting out for hours, you might want to walk away from it.

And that’s just one consideration. Food preparation is another important area where foodborne pathogens can transmit disease. The CDC has the four stages of food safety: clean, separate, cook, and refrigerate. All these elements have their specificities food preparation tips on the CDC website.

The references
1. Division of Food, Water, and Environmental Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC.

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance United States, 2009-2010;Morbe. Deadly. Wkly. representing 2013 62:41-47
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6203a1.htm?s_cid=mm6203a1_w