The risk of getting sick from E. coli, salmonella, listeria and other foodborne germs rose to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week.
“Progress in reducing (intestinal) infection incidence was not observed during 2022, as influences of the COVID-19 pandemic subsided,” the CDC said in its weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
“Collaboration among food growers, processors, retail stores, restaurants, and regulators is needed to reduce pathogen contamination during poultry slaughter and to prevent contamination of leafy greens.”
Each year, approximately 9 million Americans are sickened by pathogens in food, according to the CDC’s Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network. Also known as FoodNet, it monitors diagnosed infections caused by eight common foodborne pathogens at 10 sites in the United States. Among the millions of illnesses, about 56,000 people are admitted to hospitals and 1,350 die every year.
Thoroughly washing and drying your hands is the most important factor in preventing the spread of gastrointestinal infections, experts say.
Other key tips include not leaving your food out at room temperature for hours at a time, washing your hands when handling raw meat, avoiding contamination of surfaces with raw meat and thoroughly washing your leafy greens and other fruit and vegetables.
