Cases of Common Food-Borne Illnesses on Decrease, CDC Report Finds
Although 76 million people in the United States contract a food-borne or diarrheal illness each year, cases of the most common illnesses have declined, according to surveillance data CDC released Thursday, USA Today reports. On average, 323,000 people are hospitalized from such diseases every year, with 5,000 fatal cases. Children are at the highest risk of contracting food-borne illnesses, according to USA Today. USA Today reports that illnesses from some common food-borne pathogens have "significantly declined," including:
- Cases of E. coli 0157:H7 -- the most dangerous food-borne disease for children -- decreased by 36% over the past year;
- Cases of campylobacter, an illness contracted from raw or uncooked poultry, decreased by 28%;
- Illnesses from the most common form of salmonella were down 17%; and
- Instances of yersinia, contracted through raw or uncooked pork, decreased by 49%.