Foodborne Illness Acquired in the United States—Major Pathogens, 2019

Abstract

Estimating the number of illnesses caused by foodborne pathogens is critical for allocating resources and prioritizing interventions. We estimated the number of illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States caused by 7 major foodborne pathogens by using surveillance data and other sources, adjusted for underreporting and underdiagnosis. Campylobacter spp., Clostridium perfringens, invasive Listeria monocytogenes, norovirus, nontyphoidal Salmonella serotypes, and Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli caused ≈9.9 million (90% credible interval [CrI] 5.9–15.4 million) domestically acquired foodborne illnesses in 2019. Together with Toxoplasma gondii, those pathogens caused 53,300 (90% CrI 35,700–74,500) hospitalizations and 931 (90% CrI 530‒1,460) deaths. Norovirus caused most illnesses (≈5.5 million illnesses, 22,400 hospitalizations), followed by Campylobacter spp. (1.9 million illnesses, 13,000 hospitalizations) and nontyphoidal Salmonella serotypes (1.3 million illnesses, 12,500 hospitalizations). Salmonella infection was the leading cause of death (n = 238). Foodborne illness estimates can inform policy and direct food safety interventions that reduce those illnesses.