Foodborne illness is a serious public health problem in the United States. According to the CDC, an estimated 76 million people are sickened, 325,000 are hospitalized and 5000 die from foodborne disease each year. In 2001, USDA/ERS estimated that just five foodborne pathogens cost $6.9 billion in medical costs, lost productivity and premature deaths, while FDA estimates that over 2% to 3% of all foodborne illnesses will result in secondary long-term health outcomes. Further, the 2008 FoodNet data indicates that, despite initial declines, the incidence of many foodborne pathogens have not changed in recent years. CDC is also reporting the emergence of strains of Salmonella and other foodborne pathogens that are highly resistant to important antibiotics used for treating human illness, particularly in children. Given CDC FoodNet data trends and the recent rash of outbreaks, it is critical that the United States increase its knowledge on the sources, trends and long-term impacts of foodborne disease.
Studying the Long Term Health Effects of Foodborne Illness
In addition to working to develop effective prevention and intervention strategies for foodborne illness, CFI is concerned about the long-term health effects of foodborne disease. CFI believes that studying the long-term health effects would provide policy makers with better estimates of the burden of foodborne illness and improve patients’ long-term medical care. Unfortunately, despite the fact that one in four Americans suffer from a foodborne illness each year, very little is known about the long-term health outcomes of foodborne disease. Due to this lack of information, medical providers struggle to help foodborne illness victims plan for uncertain futures, while local and state agencies attempt to plan/fund/implement public health initiatives without the benefit of research that could point the way to successful interventions.
CFI is currently pursuing projects that should help improve knowledge about the long term health effects of foodborne illness:
- Report on Long-term Health Outcomes of Foodborne Illness for Selected Pathogens
- Concept Development for a Foodborne Illness Health Registry
Improving public health surveillance is critical to understanding the burden of foodborne illness and developing effective prevention strategies and treatments. CDC currently conducts active and passive surveillance of several foodborne pathogens through its FoodNet, PulseNet and OutbreakNet programs. Unfortunately, each of these programs has lost resources due to budgetary cuts over the past several years. Now, with the rash of FDA recalls, CDC’s surveillance programs are stretched beyond the limit, forcing them to make further program cuts.
CFI believes that without better foodborne illness surveillance and research, our knowledge about foodborne illness will continue to be limited and public health will suffer. Therefore, CFI advocates that more resources be invested in foodborne illness research and surveillance. CFI is working diligently to amend current proposed food safety legislation to include language that provides the necessary resources for these vital research efforts.
Take Action: Improving Foodborne Illness Research and Surveillance
Report on Long-term Health Outcomes of Foodborne Illness for Selected Pathogens
CFI is collaborating with Pew Charitable Trusts to produce a scientific white paper that will:
- Summarize the current research on the long-term health effects of selected foodborne pathogens;
- Document the dramatic and costly outcomes (deaths and long-term health complications) associated with selected foodborne illnesses;
- Identify the limitations of current and future research needs related to foodborne illness.
The paper, which is expected to be published in Fall 2009, will be co-authored and/or reviewed by leading scientists in the area of foodborne illness.
Concept Development for a Foodborne Illness Health Registry
Health registries, such as those developed for cancer, have been an important tool for public health surveillance and understanding long-term health effects. Potentially, a similar system for foodborne illness would provide a powerful tool for meeting the food safety challenges of the 21st Century. A health registry for foodborne illness would benefit public health by building upon CDC’s current active and passive surveillance systems to:
- improve our knowledge about foodborne illness risk factors, long-term health outcomes and costs,
- develop foodborne illness attribution models,
- develop and assess public health goals related to foodborne illness,
- promote the development and evaluation of prevention strategies,
- add to our understanding of the animal-human disease relationship, and
- identify research gaps and encourage research.
CFI is looking to establish a collaborative effort involving experts and appropriate representatives from federal governmental agencies, local and state public health departments, academic researchers and other non-governmental organizations that will:
- consider the feasibility of developing a foodborne illness health registry;
- explore other mechanisms for studying the long-term health outcomes of foodborne illness;
- review the current research on the long-term health impacts of foodborne illness;
- identify gaps in the knowledge that should be addressed;
- examine successful models that have been used to study long-term health issues, such as the cancer registries, as well as models used in other countries;
- highlight applicable regulatory requirements as well as individual privacy rights;
- plan pilot projects that will ultimately increase our knowledge about the sources, trends and health outcomes related to foodborne disease.
Recently, CFI submitted requests to ten Senate and House of Representatives offices for 2010 Congressional appropriations for this project. CFI has also worked to amend current proposed food safety legislation to include language that directs CDC to establish a foodborne illness registry.