Foodborne illnesses of foreign, domestic origin: On the rise?
Contaminated fish/shellfish originated from all regions except Europe, most commonly from Asia (the majority of fish/shellfish outbreaks were from Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand) with smaller contributions from the Bahamas and Ecuador.
Contaminated produce originated from all regions, mostly (64%) from Mexico and the Americas (Chile, Guatemala, and Honduras). All but one dairy outbreak originated in Latin America/the Caribbean.3 Outbreaks occurred in 31 states, most commonly California (30), Florida (25), and New York (16). Additionally, 43 (22%) were multistate outbreaks.
Conclusions
Outbreaks from domestic foods decreased, but those from imported foods increased. This makes sense given recent increases in outbreak-prone food imports, such as seafood/fish and produce.
To reduce overall foodborne illness outbreaks, governmental agencies need to:
- Develop/enforce regulations that promote proper growing, handling, and processing of foods.
- Strengthen surveillance networks and share standard culture and molecular detection/characterization protocols to identify outbreaks as close to real time as possible.
- Ensure rapid traceability not only to country of origin but to an exact farm or seafood/fish harvesting entity.
- Provide rapid public knowledge of outbreaks and origins, plus outbreak-specific recommendations to control/minimize resultant illnesses.
Individuals can help protect themselves by avoiding inadequately washed or incompletely cooked foods or foods of uncertain origin.
Dr. Harrison is professor of pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, Mo. He said he had no relevant financial disclosures. Email him at pdnews@frontlinemedcom.com.
References
1. MMWR. 2017 Apr 21;66(15):397-403.
2. Emerg Infect Dis. 2017 Mar;23(3):525-8.
3. Technical appendix in Emerg Infect Dis. 2017 Mar;23(3):525-8.
