The incidence of enteric infections, which are commonly foodborne, decreased in the U.S. during 2021, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report finds. In 2021, the number of infections reported to CDC’s Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) decreased by 8 percent compared with the 2016–2018 average.
During 2021, FoodNet identified 22,019 infections, 5,359 hospitalizations, and 153 deaths as a result of enteric infections. Aside from the overall decrease of enteric illnesses, the report also revealed specific trends: