CDC officials call for better Salmonella prevention efforts

CDC. MMWR. 2011;60:1-7.

Despite a significant reduction in the past 15 years of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157, Salmonella infection has not decreased and causes more hospitalizations and deaths than any other foodborne infection.

“The bottom line is that foodborne illness, particularly Salmonella, is still far too common,” Thomas R. Frieden, MD, director of the CDC, said during a CDC media briefing. “It costs hundreds of millions of dollars in medical costs each year, and continued investments at the federal, state and local levels are essential to continue to enhance our abilities to detect, respond to and prevent foodborne illness. … Reducing Salmonella infections by a quarter would save more than $400 million per year in direct medical costs.”

Michael R. Taylor, JD, Deputy Commissioner for Foods at the FDA, said the E. coli outbreak in Europe is a reminder that investing in prevention of food safety problems is the best way to provide protection that consumers expect and to avoid the economic and social disruption caused by foodborne illness.

“The Food Safety Monitorization Act provides a framework for that investment. Fortunately, the FDA is making significant changes to address Salmonella and other food safety hazards under the recently enacted act.”

In today’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Debra Gilliss, MD, of the CDC, and colleagues pooled data from the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) to assess trends in infections transmitted by food between 1996 and 2010. Pathogen-specific changes in incidence were analyzed from 1996-1998 to 2010 and from 2006-2008 to 2010.

Of the 19,089 infections, 4,247 hospitalizations and 68 deaths reported in 2010, Salmonella was the most common infection accounting for 17.6 illnesses/100,000 people and the most hospitalizations (2,290) and deaths (29). The researchers noted no significant change in Salmonella incidence since the 1996-1998 surveillance period.

Conversely, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157 infection was responsible for only 0.9 illnesses/100,000 people in 2010 — a 23% decrease in incidence in six pathogens from 1996-1998, reaching the 2010 national health objective target of no more than one case/100,000 people, according to the report.

Incidence of Campylobacter, Listeria, STEC O157, Shigella and Yersinia infection was lower in 2010, but Vibrio infection was higher.

“Salmonella infection should be targeted because it has not declined significantly in more than a decade, and other data indicate that it is one of the most common foodborne infections, resulting in an estimated $365 million in direct medical costs annually,” according to CDC officials. “The prevention measures that reduced STEC O157 infection need to be applied more broadly to reduce Salmonella and other infections. Effective measures from farm to table include preventing contamination of meat during slaughter and of all foods, including produce, during processing and preparation; cooking meat thoroughly; vigorously detecting and investigating outbreaks; and recalling contaminated food.”

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