Between 1998 and 2008, poultry, fish and beef were consistently responsible for the greatest proportion of foodborne illness outbreaks, according to a new government analysis. Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed the 13,405 food-related outbreaks reported during this time period, identifying 3,264 outbreaks that could be attributed to a specific…
CDC Cut of $450 Million Will Likely Come at a Greater Cost
Sequestration is costing the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta about $450 million, or 8 percent of its total funding for fiscal year (FY) 2013. But since CDC is in the business of surveillance and prevention of infectious diseases, don’t look for the federal government to save any money in the long…
Outbreak Detection Since Jack in the Box: A Public Health Evolution
In 1993, 623 people in the western U.S. fell ill with a little-known bacteria called E. coli O157:H7. Ultimately, four children would die from their infections; many others suffered long-term medical complications. The bug was later traced to undercooked hamburger served at Jack in the Box restaurants. This outbreak thrust foodborne illness onto the national …
Government Reports Foodborne Illness Stats for 2009-2010
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have analyzed data on all foodborne illness outbreaks that occurred in 2009 and 2010, pinpointing the pathogens and foods that were most frequently the source of outbreaks. While many figures matched those from previous years, CDC found that outbreaks linked to raw dairy had increased, and the number…
No Quick Fixes for Outbreak Surveillance and Response
Many of us have experienced the frustration of learning of a foodborne disease outbreak and wondering why didn’t we know about it sooner, why we don’t know all the details we wanted to know, why the investigation wasn’t successful or why we weren’t informed of the final details.
There are challenges to foodborne disease outbreak, …
Budget Cuts Continue to Erode Public Health Readiness
Federal and state budget cuts are taking a measurable toll on the food safety system, according to a new analysis by the Trust for America’s Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Economic slowdown and widening deficits have led to scaling back programs that respond to foodborne illness outbreaks, bioterrorism, and other incidents, and, unfortunately, disasters …
Flawed State Reporting Leaves Consumers Vulnerable
Inconsistent reporting of foodborne illnesses among states leaves large portions of the country vulnerable to the spread of potentially deadly outbreaks before health officials can identify their causes and recall contaminated foods.
Since 2006, Salmonella outbreaks from products such as eggs, cantaloupe and turkey burgers have sickened at least 6,000 people, resulting in more than …
House Ds Want Hearing on Emerging Pathogens
The leading Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are asking their Republican counterparts to hold a hearing on the public health threat posed by the rare and extremely virulent strain of E. coli responsible for the ongoing foodborne illness outbreak in Germany.
Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), Ranking Member of the committee, Rep. …
FDA: No Recent German Sprouts to U.S.
As the mysterious E. coli outbreak continues to unfold in Germany, U.S. public health officials are boosting surveillance of produce from Germany and Spain. Fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce remain suspects for the cause of the outbreak, but over the weekend authorities in Germany added local bean sprouts to the warning list.
A spokesperson for…
Video Used as Food Safety Tool by SD Co.
Four years ago when Dakota Provisions built its $120 million meat-processing plant on a 114-acre site near Huron, South Dakota, its No. 1 objective was to lead the industry in food safety, according to the company’s website.
The plant, which harvests, debones and cooks turkeys, has the capacity for 8 million live turkeys per year …