CDC Reports Progress in Foodborne Illness Prevention has Reached a Plateau

The incidence of the most common foodborne illnesses has changed very little over the past three years, according to a 10-state report released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The findings are from 2008 data reported by the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), a collaborative project of CDC, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and 10 state sites.

FoodNet monitors foodborne disease and conducts related epidemiologic studies to help health officials better understand the epidemiology of these infections in the United States. Each year, the current data is compared to the previous three years and the period from 1996 to 1998, the first three years of surveillance. The FoodNet population is similar to the U.S. population and therefore provides reliable information on the incidence and trends of foodborne illness in the United States.

Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, Listeria, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157, Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia did not change significantly when compared to the previous three years (2005-2007), the latest data showed. Although there have been significant declines in the incidence of some foodborne infections since surveillance began in 1996, these declines all occurred before 2004. The incidence of Salmonella infections has remained between 14 and 16 cases per 100,000 persons since the first years of surveillance.

“This year’s report confirms a very important concern, especially with two high-profile Salmonella outbreaks in the last year,’’ said Robert Tauxe, M.D., M.P.H, deputy director of CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases. “We recognize that we have reached a plateau in the prevention of foodborne disease and there must be new efforts to develop and evaluate food safety practices from the farm to the table. The foodborne division at CDC is planning to increase the capacity of several health departments so that outbreaks can be better detected and investigated.”

The USDA’s Salmonella Initiative Program, which began in 2006, has already significantly reduced the presence of Salmonellain raw meat and poultry products, according to David Goldman, M.D., M.P.H., assistant administrator of USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service. “We have worked hard to reduce contamination in FSIS-regulated products and have seen marked success in Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. We are concerned about the lack of progress in reducing the incidence of foodborne illness and believe this report points to the need for better information about sources of infection.”

The FDA is using new tools to help predict potential threats to foods and the best options for prevention to meet the many challenges of an increasingly complex food-supply chain, according to David Acheson, M.D., associate commissioner for foods. “The FDA is embarking on an aggressive and proactive approach in protecting and enforcing the safety of the U.S. food supply. The Agency is committed to make the necessary changes to keep unsafe products out of the marketplace before they reach consumers.”

Consumers can reduce their risk for foodborne illness by following safe food-handling and preparation recommendations and by avoiding consumption of unpasteurized milk, raw or undercooked oysters, or other raw or undercooked foods of animal origin such as eggs, ground beef, and poultry. Risk also can be decreased by choosing pasteurized eggs, high pressure-treated oysters, and irradiated produce. Everyone should wash hands before and after contact with raw meat, raw foods derived from animal products, and animals and their environments. More detailed information on food safety practices is available at www.foodsafety.gov and www.fightbac.org.

The full report, “Preliminary FoodNet Data on the Incidence of Infection with Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food -- 10 States, United States, 2008” appears in this week′s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (April 10, 2008) and is available online at www.cdc.gov/mmwr. To learn more about FoodNet, please visit www.cdc.gov/foodnet/. To learn more about foodborne infections, visit www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodborneinfections_g.htm.

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New Cases of Diagnosed Diabetes on the Rise

The rate of new cases of diagnosed diabetes rose by more than 90 percent among adults over the last 10 years, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The data, published in CDC′s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, show that in the past decade, the incidence (new cases) of diagnosed diabetes has increased from 4.8 per 1,000 people during 1995-1997 to 9.1 per 1,000 in 2005-2007 in 33 states.

“This dramatic increase in the number of people with diabetes highlights the increasing burden of diabetes across the country,” says lead author Karen Kirtland, Ph.D., a data analyst with CDC′s Division of Diabetes Translation. “This study demonstrates that we must continue to promote effective diabetes prevention efforts that include lifestyle interventions for people at risk for diabetes. Changes such as weight loss combined with moderate physical activity are important steps that individuals can take to reduce their risk for developing diabetes.”

The study used data from CDC′s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and provides incidence rates of diabetes for 43 states and two U.S. territories. Only 33 states had data for both time periods, but 43 states collected data in 2005-2007.

State-specific, age-adjusted estimates of new cases of diabetes ranged from 5 per 1,000 people in Minnesota to 12.7 per 1,000 in West Virginia. The number of news cases was highest in Puerto Rico at 12.8 per 1,000. States with the highest age-adjusted incidence were predominately Southern states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.

“This report documents the geographic distribution of new cases of diabetes and is consistent with previous studies showing an increase in new diabetes cases,” said Kirkland. “We must step up efforts to prevent and control diabetes, particularly in the Southern U.S. region where we see higher rates of diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity.”

CDC, through its Division of Diabetes Translation, funds diabetes prevention and control programs in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia, and seven U.S. territories and island jurisdictions. The National Diabetes Education Program, co-sponsored by CDC and the National Institutes of Health, provides diabetes education to improve treatment for people with diabetes, promote early diagnosis and prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.

For more information about diabetes, visit www.cdc.gov/diabetes. The MMWR report is available at www.cdc.gov/mmwr.

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