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Costs of foodborne illnesses exceed $74 billion

Costs of foodborne illnesses exceed $74 billion

The cost of foodborne illnesses in the United States was almost $75 billion in 2023, according to recently released data.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the most expensive foodborne pathogen is Salmonella, which cost $17 billion. The least expensive pathogen was for cholera, a relatively rare disease in the United States, which had a cost of $100,000. The average per-patient cost by pathogen ranges from $196 for Bacillus cereus to $4.6 million for Vibrio vulnificus. A spreadsheet with per-case and total cost estimates for each of the 31 pathogens is included in the data product and available here.

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