FRIDAY, May 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — From 2015 to 2018, the incidence of most foodborne infections increased, according to research published in the April 26 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Danielle M. Tack, D.V.M., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues summarized preliminary 2018 data and changes since 2015 in laboratory-diagnosed infection caused by eight pathogens commonly transmitted through food.
The researchers found that 25,606 infections, 5,893 hospitalizations, and 120 deaths were identified through the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) during 2018. The incidence of most infections was increasing, including those due to Campylobacter and Salmonella. This increase may be partly related to increased use of culture-independent diagnostic tests. Compared with 2015 to 2017, there was a marked increase in the incidence of Cyclospora infections, partly linked to large outbreaks associated with produce.
“FoodNet continues to collect data and develop analytic tools to adjust for changes in diagnostic testing practices and test characteristics,” the authors write. “These actions, along with FoodNet’s robust surveillance, provide data to help evaluate the effectiveness of prevention efforts and determine when additional measures are needed.”
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