Foodborne illnesses decreased in 2020; could be result of pandemic factors

Foodborne illnesses in the United States decreased by 26 percent in 2020 compared with the average from 2017-19, according to a report released today.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that its FoodNet surveillance system identified 18,462 infections, including 4,788 hospitalizations and 118 deaths, according to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP).

The decrease could be related to the coronavirus pandemic in more than one way, according to the researchers.

“The researchers speculated that pandemic-related behaviors, such as more handwashing, less international travel, and restaurant closures, may have contributed to the decrease in foodborne illnesses, but they note that changes in healthcare delivery and healthcare-seeking behaviors may have caused underreporting,” according to the report.

“While they also note that lab-testing practice changes may have had an effect, they found that the proportion of infections diagnosed by culture, compared with culture-independent diagnostic tests, was stable in 2020.

“The incidences of Salmonella Infantis, Cyclospora, and Yersinia infections, which had previously been increasing, did not change, possibly because of continuing pre-pandemic factors that led to rising incidences during previous years,” the researchers said. “The stable incidences despite the pandemic suggest that they might have increased otherwise. As pandemic-related restrictions are lifted, illnesses caused by these pathogens and by Hadar, the one Salmonella serotype with increasing incidence, should be closely monitored.”

All outbreak-associated Hadar cases were connected to one multistate outbreak involving backyard poultry contact, according to the data; more than one-third had to be hospitalized.

Campylobacter had the highest incidence with 14.4 infections per 100,000 people, followed by Salmonella with 13.3, and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli with 3.6. All eight FoodNet-tracked pathogens had lower incidences, except for Yersinia and Cyclospora.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)

Note: This article have been indexed to our site. We do not claim ownership or copyright of any of the content above. To see the article at original source Click Here

Related Posts
Missing youth, 13, last seen at Ottawa airport, police say thumbnail

Missing youth, 13, last seen at Ottawa airport, police say

Published Apr 15, 2023  •  Last updated Apr 16, 2023  •  < 1 minute read Files: Ottawa Police headquarters Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia The Ottawa Police Service said Friday that a 13-year-old youth, missing since Saturday, has been found safe. Why have cartoon-like statues of pandas, bunnies and bears appeared in Ottawa's Chinatown? Environment
Read More
Where Are Women in Healthcare Leadership? The Tumultuous Year Ahead thumbnail

Where Are Women in Healthcare Leadership? The Tumultuous Year Ahead

Welcome to this week's edition of Healthcare Career Insights. This weekly roundup highlights healthcare career-related articles culled from across the web to help you learn what's next.Women make up 76% of healthcare jobs but are rarely found in leadership -- More women needed in healthcare leadership jobs (Health eCareers)Burnout among physicians is still on the…
Read More
This Is What It’s Like to Come Out Later in Life thumbnail

This Is What It’s Like to Come Out Later in Life

FOR MANY YOUNGER LGBTQ+ people, an increase in societal acceptance and ever-growing representation in pop culture has created an environment where they feel more able to come out, re-introduce themselves to their nearest and dearest, and feel confident in their sexuality or gender identity. However, despite a seemingly positive trend towards LGBTQ+ liberation across the
Read More
Survey shows Germans want more transparent food controls thumbnail

Survey shows Germans want more transparent food controls

A survey in Germany has found the majority of consumers want more transparency on the results of food inspections. The poll, on behalf of the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (VZBV), revealed 88 percent of those surveyed would support a food monitoring system that used smiley faces or other methods like traffic light colors. It…
Read More
Index Of News
Total
0
Share