AMA, FDA help America’s physicians combat spread of foodborne illness

CHICAGO — On the heels of the recent nationwide E.coli outbreak that caused Americans across more than a dozen states to become ill and led to one death, the American Medical Association (AMA), in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), today announced new online continuing medical education (CME) videos aimed at helping physicians combat the spread of foodborne illness. The new videos provide physicians with the information and resources they need to diagnose, treat, and report foodborne illnesses and educate patients on preventing foodborne illness.

“The CDC estimates that 48 million Americans are sickened by contaminated foods each year — leading to 128,000 hospitalizations and approximately 3,000 deaths. These staggering statistics reinforce the reason why the AMA and FDA are taking action to help ensure all of our frontline physicians are prepared when a patient with foodborne illness comes into their hospitals, clinics and emergency departments,” said AMA President David O. Barbe, M.D. “Building on the AMA’s longstanding efforts urging physicians to remain informed on diagnosing and managing foodborne illness, the new videos will serve as an important reminder for physicians that they have a vital role in recognizing symptoms and reporting cases of foodborne illness to public health authorities for investigation — which speeds up the recognition of outbreaks and helps prevent further illnesses.”