Among all outbreaks of foodborne illness in the United States between 2010 and 2014, only 3 percent of outbreaks were multistate outbreaks, but these outbreaks involved 56 percent of the deaths from all outbreaks, according to the new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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The top causes of multistate outbreaks – salmonella, E. coli and listeria – are more unsafe than the leading causes of single-state outbreaks, Frieden said. Their analysis included 120 multistate outbreaks over the 5-year study span. They found that the multistate events were linked to 11% of all foodborne outbreak cases and 34% of hospitalizations. That’s despite the fact that these multi-state outbreaks only accounted for 3% of all outbreaks during that period.
Listeria caused the most deaths, largely due to an outbreak caused by contaminated cantaloupe in 2011 that killed 33 people.
Salmonella caused the most illnesses and hospitalizations, prompting three of the largest outbreaks linked to eggs, chicken and raw ground tuna.
Food imported from Mexico was the leading source of imported food outbreaks, followed by food imported from Turkey.
“Americans should not have to worry about getting sick from the food they eat”, said CDC Director Tom Frieden.
CDC officials are also using new gene-sequencing tools to track down the source of outbreaks faster.
Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria continue to be found as root causes of foodborne illnesses spreading throughout states…
While most such outbreaks are small and the associated disease is mild, they “can be big and they can be lethal”, he said.
Frieden said disease detectives are “cracking the cases much more frequently than in past years because we have this new DNA fingerprinting tool being used increasingly”, but many cases still go unsolved.
In September, the Food and Drug Administration finalized long-awaited rules that will require US food manufacturers to make detailed plans to identify and prevent possible contamination risks in their production facilities.
The government is reporting an increase in food poisoning outbreaks that span multiple states, like the one that this week prompted Chipotle to close 43 of its restaurants in the Pacific Northwest.
Additional regulations that address intentional adulteration and sanitary transportation of food are expected in the coming months.
And health officials say food industry consolidation means companies ship to wider networks of grocery stores and restaurants than in the past.
An average of 24 multi-state outbreaks occurred per year. Salmonella is the leading cause of foodborne illness, and though rates haven’t changed much at all over the past several years, improvements in a few food segments have been seen. And she said the FDA, CDC, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are working with producers to find ways of keeping other food products from becoming contaminated.
The report highlights the need for food industries to play a larger role in improving food safety by following best practices for growing, processing, and shipping foods.
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“When industry and government agencies collaborate, they not only speed up outbreak investigation and traceback processes but also can use lessons learned to reduce the likelihood of future outbreaks”, the authors conclude.
