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Expect Increases in Foodborne Illness -- Christopher J. Harrison - Medscape
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/expect-increases-foodborne-illness-2025a1000a76Growing up, “food poisoning,” to me, meant throwing up repeatedly after eating the mayo-based potato salad several hours after it was put on the picnic table on July 4. But that version (probably Staphylococcus aureus–toxin mediated) is not the most common form. US data from 2024 showed 1392 bacterial caused foodborne illnesses from contaminated food, a nearly 25% increase from 2023.
But wait — there’s more! Reported bacterial/protozoan foodborne hospital admissions and deaths increased more than 100% from 2023 to 2024. The 2024 increases were mostly concentrated in 13 outbreaks, 12 due to Listeria spp, Salmonella spp, or Escherichia coli. It is important to realize that reported numbers are probably huge underestimates of the actual foodborne illness burden (an estimated 48 million illnesses; 1 out of 6 Americans each year) because most people with foodborne illnesses do not seek medical care and, thus, the illness is not reported. One estimate is that only 1 in 30 actual cases is reported. Among the 10 million foodborne illnesses or so that are reported annually, 128,000 require hospitalization and 3000 are fatal.
. . .
A helpful site for families concerned about foodborne illness in their children is https://www.foodsafety.gov/people-at-risk/children-under-five. Also, the Consumer Reports May-June 2025 edition has a nice section on foodborne illnesses that may help your patients’ families. Note that other top offenders include raw shellfish, sprouts, ground meats, unpasteurized juices or cider, and raw flour (eg, in cookie dough).
The US food supply has been among the safest in the world, but that seems to be changing. Expect more frequent issues since many FDA/USDA safety systems are being reduced or eliminated. Some systems remain intact as of April 20, 2025, such as the CDC’s FoodNet surveillance system. That said, examples of dismantled systems include the March 2025 elimination of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods and the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection. So, expect more foodborne outbreaks.
. . .
But wait — there’s more! Reported bacterial/protozoan foodborne hospital admissions and deaths increased more than 100% from 2023 to 2024. The 2024 increases were mostly concentrated in 13 outbreaks, 12 due to Listeria spp, Salmonella spp, or Escherichia coli. It is important to realize that reported numbers are probably huge underestimates of the actual foodborne illness burden (an estimated 48 million illnesses; 1 out of 6 Americans each year) because most people with foodborne illnesses do not seek medical care and, thus, the illness is not reported. One estimate is that only 1 in 30 actual cases is reported. Among the 10 million foodborne illnesses or so that are reported annually, 128,000 require hospitalization and 3000 are fatal.
. . .
A helpful site for families concerned about foodborne illness in their children is https://www.foodsafety.gov/people-at-risk/children-under-five. Also, the Consumer Reports May-June 2025 edition has a nice section on foodborne illnesses that may help your patients’ families. Note that other top offenders include raw shellfish, sprouts, ground meats, unpasteurized juices or cider, and raw flour (eg, in cookie dough).
The US food supply has been among the safest in the world, but that seems to be changing. Expect more frequent issues since many FDA/USDA safety systems are being reduced or eliminated. Some systems remain intact as of April 20, 2025, such as the CDC’s FoodNet surveillance system. That said, examples of dismantled systems include the March 2025 elimination of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods and the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection. So, expect more foodborne outbreaks.
. . .