Diagnosis and management of foodborne illnesses

Foodborne illnesses are extremely common diseases. An estimated 325,000 serious illnesses resulting in hospitalizations, 76 million cases of gastrointestinal illness, and 5,000 deaths each year have been attributed to food-associated dangers. Substantial progress made in the past in preventing certain foodborne illnesses such as typhoid and cholera has led to decreased national attention on foodborne illness. This, coupled with recent changes in human demographics and eating behavior, technology and industry, international travel and commerce, microbial adaptation, economic development and land use, and the lack of funding for updating public health measures, has resulted in new and reemerging foodborne illnesses. 

Physicians play a critical public health role in surveillance for and identification and prevention of potential outbreaks of foodborne diarrheal illness in the United States. Thus, physicians should maintain a high index of suspicion to diagnose potential foodborne illnesses. The AMA hopes that this Web site will provide some assistance to physicians on current and important issues in foodborne illnesses and foodborne pathogens.