Food Safety
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Safety
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • White Papers
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • PODCAST
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Food Safety Five Newsreel
    • eBooks
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Videos
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MORE
    • ENEWSLETTER >
      • Archive Issues
      • Subscribe to eNews
    • Store
    • Sponsor Insights
  • WEBINARS
  • FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
News

CDC: Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria Cause Almost All Multistate Foodborne Outbreaks

November 3, 2015

A new Vital Signs report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today reveals that although multistate outbreaks cause more than 50 percent of foodborne disease outbreaks, they only account for 3 percent of reported outbreaks in the U.S.

The Vital Signs report is a culmination of data from the CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System between 2010 and 2014. CDC scientists compared the number of illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths from outbreaks in two or more states with those from outbreaks that occurred in a single state. They found that the 120 multistate outbreaks during the 5 year study period were responsible for 11 percent of all foodborne outbreak illnesses, 34 percent of hospitalizations and 56 percent of deaths. An average of 24 multistate outbreaks occurred each year, involving two to 37 states.

So, what causes these multistate outbreaks?

  • Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Listeria cause over 90 percent of all multistate outbreaks--commonly found in beef, chicken, fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • Salmonella caused the most illnesses and hospitalizations, prompting three of the largest outbreaks linked to eggs, chicken and raw ground tuna.
  • Listeria caused the most deaths, primarily stemming from contaminated cantaloupe in 2011 that killed 33 people.
  • Food imported from Mexico was the leading source of imported food outbreaks, followed by food imported from Turkey.

The CDC is doing what they can to prevent such outbreaks from occurring. “Americans should not have to worry about getting sick from the food they eat,” says CDC director Tom Frieden. “Top-notch epidemiology and new gene sequencing tools are helping us quickly track down the source of foodborne outbreaks – and together with our national partners we are working with the food industry to prevent them from happening in the first place.”

The Vital Signs report recommends that local, state, and national health agencies work closely with food industries to understand how their foods are produced and distributed to speed multistate outbreak investigations. These investigations can reveal fixable problems that resulted in food becoming contaminated and lessons learned that can help strengthen food safety.

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. In addition, food industries can help stop outbreaks and lessen their impact by keeping detailed records to allow faster tracing of foods from source to destination, by using store loyalty cards to help identify which foods made people sick, and by notifying customers of food recalls.

Sign up for Food Safety Magazine’s bi-weekly emails!

 

 


Author(s): Staff

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • people holding baby chicks

    Serovar Differences Matter: Utility of Deep Serotyping in Broiler Production and Processing

    This article discusses the significance of Salmonella in...
    Microbiological
    By: Nikki Shariat Ph.D.
  • woman washing hands

    Building a Culture of Hygiene in the Food Processing Plant

    Everyone entering a food processing facility needs to...
    Management
    By: Richard F. Stier, M.S.
  • graphical representation of earth over dirt

    Climate Change and Emerging Risks to Food Safety: Building Climate Resilience

    This article examines the multifaceted threats to food...
    Contamination Control
    By: Maria Cristina Tirado Ph.D., D.V.M. and Shamini Albert Raj M.A.
Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Safety Magazine audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Safety Magazine or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Deli Salads
    Sponsored byCorbion

    How Food Safety is Becoming the Ultimate Differentiator in Refrigerated and Prepared Foods

Popular Stories

Image of Tyson Foods logo and the logos of Tyson Foods brands

Tyson Foods is Reformulating Food Products to Eliminate Petroleum-Based Synthetic Dyes

USDA building.jpg

More Than 15,000 USDA Employees Take Trump Administration's Resignation Offer

Woman reading the warning label on a bottle of wine

A 40-Year Hangover: Efforts to Revive 1980s Advocacy About the Potential Negative Effects of Alcohol Consumption

Events

May 12, 2025

The Food Safety Summit

Stay informed on the latest food safety trends, innovations, emerging challenges, and expert analysis. Leave the Summit with actionable insights ready to drive measurable improvements in your organization. Do not miss this opportunity to learn from experts about contamination control, food safety culture, regulations, sanitation, supply chain traceability, and so much more.

May 13, 2025

Traceability Next Steps—Supply Chain Implementation

Live Streaming from the Food Safety Summit: Join us for this engaging and highly practical workshop focused on building and sustaining traceability efforts across the food supply chain. 

May 13, 2025

Effective Sanitation Basics

Live Streaming from the Food Safety Summit: This dynamic workshop will help participants understand the sanitation process, effective monitoring, use of data streams, and root cause analysis basics.

View All

Products

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

See More Products
Environmental Monitoring Excellence eBook

Related Articles

  • romaine engin akyurt via unsplash

    CDC Summarizes Multistate Foodborne Illness Outbreaks 2017–2020: Salmonella, STEC, Listeria

    See More
  • CDC: Raw Milk, Cheese Cause Almost All Dairy Foodborne Illness

    See More
  • e coli rendering

    2020 Estimates Released: Food Types Associated with E. Coli, Salmonella, Listeria Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

    See More
×

Never miss the latest news and trends driving the food safety industry

eNewsletter | Website | eMagazine

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing