Incidence of foodborne illnesses reported by the Foodborne Diseases ActiveSurveillance Network (FoodNet)-1997

In 1997, the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Program (FoodNet) condu cted active surveillance for culture-confirmed cases of Campylobacter, Esch erichia coli O157, Listeria, Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio, Yersinia, Cyclos pora, and Cryptosporidium in five Emerging Infections Program sites. FoodNe t is a collaborative effort of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventi on's National Center for Infectious Diseases, the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, the Food and Drug Admi nistration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, and state health departments in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Minnesota, and Oregon. Th e population under active surveillance for foodborne infections was approxi mately 16.1 million persons or roughly 6% of the United States Population. Through weekly or monthly contact with all clinical laboratories in these s ites, 8,576 total isolations were recorded: 2,205 cases of salmonellosis, 1 ,273 cases of shigellosis, 468 cases of cryptosporidiosis, 340 of E. coli O 157:H7 infections, 139 of yersiniosis, 77 of listeriosis, 51 of Vibrio infe ctions, and 49 of cyclosporiasis. Results from 1997 demonstrate that while there are regional and seasonal differences in reported incidence rates of certain bacterial and parasitic diseases, and that some pathogens showed a change in incidence from 1996, the overall incidence of illness caused by p athogens under surveillance was stable. More data over more years are neede d to assess if observed variations in incidence reflect yearly fluctuations or true changes in the burden of foodborne illness.