|
WASHINGTON, April 14, 2005 - A report released
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration
with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) showed important declines in foodborne infections
due to common bacterial pathogens in 2004.
For the first time, cases of E. coli O157 infections,
one of the most severe foodborne diseases, are below the national
Healthy People 2010 health goal. From 1996-2004, the incidence of
E. coli O157 infections decreased 42 percent. Campylobacter
infections decreased 31 percent, Cryptosporidium dropped
40 percent, and Yersinia decreased 45 percent.
Overall, Salmonella infections dropped 8 percent, but
only one of the five most common strains declined significantly.
Different Salmonella strains are found in a variety of
animal hosts and in different geographic locations. Further efforts
are needed to better understand why some Salmonella strains
tend to contaminate produce during production and harvest. FDA has
recently developed a plan to decrease foodborne illnesses associated
with fresh produce. To better control foodborne pathogens in animals
and plants, prevention efforts should be implemented across the
farm to table continuum.
"This report is good news for Americans and underscores the
importance of investments in food safety. Our efforts are working
and we're making progress in reducing foodborne illnesses,"
said CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding. "However, foodborne
disease is still a significant cause of illness in the United States
and further efforts are needed to sustain and extend these important
declines and to improve prevention of foodborne illnesses."
"The continued reduction in illnesses from E. coli
O157 is a tremendous success story and we are committed to continuing
this positive trend in the future," said USDA Secretary Mike
Johanns. "These results demonstrate that through innovative
policies and strong and consistent enforcement of inspection laws,
we are protecting the public's health through a safer food supply."
Several factors have contributed to the decline in foodborne illnesses.
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service implemented a series of
new recommendations beginning in 2002 to combat E. coli
O157 in ground beef and Listeria in ready-to-eat products.
In response, most establishments have significantly enhanced their
food safety systems. Many have applied new technologies to reduce
or eliminate pathogens and have increased their testing to ensure
the effectiveness of control measures. Furthermore, these improvements
likely reflect industry efforts to reduce E. coli O157
in live cattle and during slaughter.
The reduction in Campylobacter infections may be due to
greater consumer awareness of safe poultry handling and cooking
methods. Food safety education efforts targeted to specific foodborne
hazards as well as general consumer tips, such as the public-private
Fight BAC!® campaign, have helped consumers become more aware
and knowledgeable of food safety hazards and how to prevent them.
The incidence of Shigella, which is found in a wide variety
of foods, did not change significantly from 1996 through 2004. Vibrio
infections increased 47 percent. Vibrio infections, which
are primarily associated with consumption of certain types of raw
shellfish, can be prevented by thoroughly cooking seafood, especially
oysters.
In 1996, the FoodNet surveillance system began collecting valuable
information to quantify, monitor, and track the incidence of laboratory
confirmed cases of foodborne illnesses caused by Campylobacter,
Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, E. coli O157, Listeria,
Shigella, Yersinia and Vibrio. Since
its inception, FoodNet has grown to include ten states and 44 million
people, about 15 percent of the American population.
The full report, "Preliminary FoodNet Data on the Incidence
of Infections with Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food -
Selected Sites, United States, 2004" appears in this week's
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (April 15, 2005) and is available
online at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr. To learn more about
FoodNet please visit http://www.cdc.gov/foodnet/. To learn more about various foodborne
pathogens, visit http://www.cdc.gov/az.do.
|
