Food-borne 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.