Incidence of Foodborne Pathogens Returns to Pre-Pandemic Levels

Throughout the United States in 2022, the incidence of pathogens commonly transmitted through food generally increased to pre-pandemic levels, according to research published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Miranda J. Delahoy, PhD, and colleagues conducted surveillance for laboratory diagnosed infections caused by eight pathogens transmitted commonly through food at 10 sites to examine progress toward prevention of enteric infections in the US. The researchers observed decreases in many infections from 2020 to 2021 due to behavioral modifications, public health interventions, changes in healthcare seeking, and testing practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these interventions ended in 2022, resulting in renewal of outbreaks, international travel, and other factors that caused enteric infections. Annual rates of illnesses caused by Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, and Listeria in 2022 were similar to average annual incidences from 2016 to 2018, and higher incidences of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Yersinia, Vibrio, and Cyclospora illnesses were observed. Culture independent diagnostic tests likely contributed to increased detection. “Progress in reducing enteric infection incidence was not observed during 2022, as influences of the COVID-19 pandemic subsided,” Dr. Delahoy and colleagues wrote.