CDC Data Shows Limited Progress in Reducing Foodborne Infections
The nation's food safety grades are out and the results are mixed. In fact, foodborne infections continue to be an important public health problem in the United States, according to annual report card produced by The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Atlanta.
The rate of salmonella infections decreased by about 9% in 2013 compared with the previous three years, bringing it to the rate last observed in the 2006-2008 baseline period. But, campylobacter infections, often linked to dairy products and chicken, have risen 13% since 2006-2008. Vibrio infections, often linked to eating raw shellfish, were at the highest level observed since active tracking began in 1996, however rates of infections caused by Vibrio vulnificus, the most severe species, have remained steady. Rates of the other foodborne infections tracked have not changed since the period between 2006-2008.