CDC collects data on foodborne disease outbreaks submitted by all states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. This week, the
CDC published its report on foodborne disease outbreaks reported by August 2, 2012, in which the first illness occurred during 2009–2010. The following are some of the agency’s findings:
- 1,527 foodborne disease outbreaks (675 in 2009 and 852 in 2010) were reported to the CDC;
- 29,444 cases of illness, 1,184 hospitalizations and 23 deaths were associated with these outbreaks;
- Norovirus (virus) accounting for 42% of outbreaks associated with one etiologic agent;
- Salmonella (bacteria) was second, accounting for 30% of such outbreaks;
- Of the largest 299 outbreaks, the foods most responsible were eggs (27% of illnesses), beef (11%), and poultry (10%) [Note: for 2011 and 2012, produce, including cantaloupe, caused some of the largest food poisoning outbreaks in history];
- Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (“STEC” to health offials and “E. coli” to the general public) caused
- The pathogen-commodity pairs responsible for the most deaths were STECO157 in beef (three deaths), and Salmonella in pork and Listeria in dairy (two each) [Note: in 2011, 30 people died in a Listeria outbreak linked to cantaloupe, the deadliest outbreak in 20 years];
- Among the 766 outbreaks with a known single setting where food was consumed, 48% were caused by food consumed in a restaurant or deli, and 21% were caused by food consumed in a private home;
- Only forty-three outbreaks resulted in product recalls – ground beef (eight outbreaks), sprouts (seven), cheese and cheese-containing products (six), oysters (five), raw milk (three), eggs (three), and salami (ground pepper), bison, sirloin steak, unpasteurized apple cider, cookie dough, frozen mamey fruit, hazelnuts, Romaine lettuce, ground turkey burger, tuna steak, and a frozen entrée (one each).
Attorney Fred Pritzker and his Bad Bug Law Team represented victims of many of these outbreaks and won millions for them, including $4.5 million for one E. coli victim who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and over $2 million for a man sickened by Campylobacter in raw milk. You can contact Fred for a free consultation here about a food poisoning lawsuit. You will not be obligated to hire him. If you do, you will not have to pay anything unless we win your case.
