Incidences of Food-borne Illnesses Stagnate

The numbers of food-borne infections in the U.S. have stagnated after a period of decline, indicating the need for further prevention efforts, a new report claims.

According to data from FoodNet, a surveillance network of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has been no significant decline in the incidence of some food-borne infections since 2004.

"The results show that prevention efforts have been partly successful, but there has been little further progress in the most recent years," said Dr. Robert Tauxe, deputy director of CDCŒs division of food-borne, bacterial and mycotic diseases. "More needs to be done to make our food safer."

Oubreaks of Campylobacter, Listeria, Salmonella, shigella, E.coli O157, vibrio and yersinia "did not decline significantly," the report said.

Campylobacter and Salmonella were also the two most common causes of illness in 2007, with rates of 13 cases every 100,000 people, the report said.

According to the CDC, incidence of Cryptosporidium jumped 44 percent higher in 2007 compared with the 2004-2006 average.

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