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Volume 28, Number 6—June 2022
Synopsis

Foodborne Illness Outbreaks Reported to National Surveillance, United States, 2009–2018

Alice E. WhiteComments to Author , Alexandra R. Tillman, Craig Hedberg, Beau B. Bruce, Michael Batz, Scott A. Seys, Daniel Dewey-Mattia, Michael C. Bazaco, and Elaine Scallan Walter
Author affiliations: Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado, USA (A.E. White, A.R. Tillman, E. Scallan Walter); University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (C. Hedberg); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (B.B. Bruce, D. Dewey-Mattia); US Food and Drug Administration, College Park, Maryland, USA (M. Batz, M.C. Bazaco); US Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service, Washington, DC, USA (S.A. Seys)

Main Article

Table 4

Overarching food categories of implicated food vehicles in outbreaks reported to Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System, United States, 2009–2018*

Characteristic Land animals Aquatic animals Plants Unassignable† Other‡ p value
All etiologies <0.01
Highest reporters 214 (24.4) 192 (21.8) 138 (15.7) 314 (35.7) 21 (2.4)
Middle reporters 522 (27.2)) 335 (17.5) 290 (15.1) 704 (36.7) 66 (3.4)
Lowest reporters
 51 (31.1)
 11 (6.7)
 24 (14.6)
 73 (44.5)
 5 (3.1)
Norovirus 0.26
Highest reporters 16 (6.5) 27 (10.9) 55 (22.2) 136 (54.8) 14 (5.7)
Middle reporters 15 (3.5) 31 (7.3) 85 (20.0) 261 (61.4) 33 (7.8)
Lowest reporters
 1 (5.0)
 3 (15.0)
 4 (20.0)
 12 (60.0)
 0
Salmonella 0.61
Highest reporters 63 (52.5) 1 (0.8) 18 (15.0) 36 (30.0) 2 (1.7)
Middle reporters 165 (52.6) 10 (3.2) 41 (13.1) 88 (28.0) 10 (3.2)
Lowest reporters
 22 (51.2)
 3 (7.0)
 4 (9.3)
 12 (27.9)
 2 (4.7)
Bacterial toxins§ 0.89
Highest reporters 45 (42.9) 1 (1.0) 10 (9.5) 49 (46.7) 0
Middle reporters 115 (41.8) 3 (1.1) 31 (11.3) 121 (44.0) 5 (1.8)
Lowest reporters
 6 (35.3)
 0
 3 (17.7)
 8 (47.1)
 0
STEC O157 0.65
Highest reporters 11 (50.0) 0 7 (31.8) 4 (18.2) 0
Middle reporters 37 (61.7) 1 (1.7) 16 (26.7) 6 (10.0) 0
Lowest reporters
 5 (83.3)
 0
 0
 1 (16.7)
 0
Other known 0.01
Highest reporters 67 (24.5) 143 (52.2) 31 (11.3) 32 (11.7) 1 (0.4)
Middle reporters 137 (25.6) 265 (49.4) 68 (12.7) 57 (10.6) 9 (1.7)
Lowest reporters
 7 (30.4)
 3 (13.0)
 7 (30.4)
 5 (21.7)
 1 (4.4)
Unknown 0.06
Highest reporters 12 (10.9) 20 (18.2) 17 (15.5) 57 (51.8) 4 (3.6)
Middle reporters 53 (17.3) 25 (8.1) 49 (16.0) 171 (55.7) 9 (2.9)
Lowest reporters 10 (18.2) 2 (3.6) 6 (10.9) 35 (63.6) 2 (3.6)

*Values are no. (%) except as indicated. p values are determined by χ2 test. †A food or foods were implicated, but the contaminated ingredient was not determined so a food category could not be assigned or >1 food category was implicated using the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration categorization scheme (10). ‡Includes foods that were unclassifiable using food categories defined by the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration. §Bacterial toxin outbreaks include Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus.

Main Article

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