Health
CDC Narrows Foodborne Illness Tracking Focus
Health Points
- CDC now monitors only Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli for foodborne illnesses.
- Funding shortages prompted the agency to scale back surveillance efforts.
- Following food safety practices can help reduce your risk of getting sick.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reduced its surveillance of foodborne germs, now focusing solely on Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli through its FoodNet program. This shift means the CDC will no longer actively track Campylobacter, Cyclospora, Listeria, Shigella, Vibrio, or Yersinia.
Funding concerns were the main reason for this change, rather than a drop in illness outbreaks. “There is no scientific basis for reducing surveillance,” says Lewis Ziska, PhD, associate professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
A CDC spokesperson noted that changed reporting requirements will help FoodNet staff concentrate on crucial duties. Other public health systems can still monitor the pathogens not included under FoodNet, such as the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System and the Listeria Initiative.
“Any reduction in the ability to detect foodborne illnesses, [leading to] less reporting and response, has the potential to have a very serious effect on the public — both in terms of staying healthy, but also in terms of confidence in the safety of the food that we consume,” says Scott Rivkees, MD, professor at the Brown University School of Public Health.
States may choose to keep monitoring on their own, but more cutbacks could happen if funds remain limited. Produce is a common source of foodborne illness, while contaminated meat and poultry are often tied to more severe cases.
To help prevent illness, the CDC recommends washing hands, surfaces, and produce thoroughly, keeping raw meats separate from other foods, and using food thermometers to ensure safe cooking temperatures. Steaks should reach 145°F, ground meats 160°F, and poultry 165°F.
Children and older adults have a higher risk of foodborne illnesses, as do pregnant women and their developing babies.
For more tips and updates, stay connected with reliable health sources and make food safety a priority at home.
