In 2012, the European Union saw infections from Campylobacter and Salmonella fall, while those from Listeria rose, according to a yearly report on foodborne illness outbreaks published Wednesday by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Campylobacter is still the most commonly reported foodborne disease in the E.U., though rates of infection fell slightly in 2012 for the first time in five years. Salmonella cases, on the other hand, saw their seventh straight yearly decline in rates. The E.U. counted 214,000 cases of Campylobacter infection in 2012, while Salmonella infections were reported 91,000 times. The report credits the lowering Salmonella rates to Salmonella control programs in poultry production that have been implemented by European nations. Listeria monocytogenes infections numbered 1,642 reported cases, up more than 10 percent from 2011, continuing a gradual increase of cases over the past five years. Listeria infections are often more deadly than other foodborne diseases, and, in pregnant women, can sometimes cause early labor, miscarriage or stillbirth. The full report can be found here: “The European Union Summary Report on Trends and Sources of Zoonoses, Zoonotic Agents and Food-borne Outbreaks in 2012”
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