Illnesses due to poultry and seafood on the rise: CDC Food Safety Report.

Jojy Cheriyan MD;MPH-April 19, 2013

Every year over 48 million people in United States are affected by food poisoning despite all the surveillance and inspections for which the country spends millions of dollars. The Public Health surveillance conducted by the FOODNET (Food borne Diseases Active Surveillance Network) releases a report card every year to inform the public and the government about the number of people sickened by food borne infections, confirmed by laboratory tests , and propose actions to prevent further spread.

The report card of 2012 was released yesterday (April 18,2013) by the federal government's Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC). This is based on food borne infections in 10 states which constitute 15% of the US population. But it is seen as a good indicator of food poisoning trends.

The report released yesterday shows that bacteria linked to poultry and seafood (Salmonella , Vibrio and Campylobacter) are causing more and more infections . Campylobacter found in poultry and animal feces is the most common cause of diarrheal diseases in United States. This has shown a steep rise of 14% during 2012. Infections caused by Vibrio which is another bacteria common in sea foods rose by 43% compared to previous years. Vibrio causes symptoms similar to cholera.

Of the 15,531 food-borne illnesses reported by the CDC's 10-site surveillance system in 2012, 4,563 resulted in hospitalization and 68 resulted in death. Although Salmonella killed the largest number of infected patients, Listeria was the most deadly, killing 10.74% of the 121 patients who were infected by it.

Last July, cases of Vibrio, prompted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue a consumer warning against eating shellfish from Oyster Bay Harbor in Nassau County, New York.

FDA is accelerating its efforts to gain more powers over state in implementing plans to prevent Vibrio contamination in foods. Importation of foods from foreign countries will also be scrutinized carefully to prevent food borne infections.

The Food Safety and Modernization Act 2011 has proposals to enact stringent measures to control food poisoning but the new sequestration cuts are going to slow down its implementation.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, asked Congress yesterday for more funding to enable the agency to improve food safety and importation oversight, as well as to design chemical- and biological-threat countermeasures.

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