CHICAGO (Reuters) - Efforts by U.S. states to contain foodborne infections have made no dent in reducing the number of infections, which remained flat last year after a period of decline, according to a 10-state report released on Thursday by government researchers.
They found no change in the rate of infections caused by Listeria, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli O157 and several other nasty germs in 2007 compared with the previous three years, and levels of Cryptosporidium, a pathogen which causes diarrhea, actually increased compared with 2004-2006.
"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 the Centers for Disease Control's Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, in a statement.
"More needs to be done to make our food safer," Tauxe said.
Faye Feldstein, acting director of the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Food Defense, said the FDA will continue to pursue strategies to reduce all foodborne illness.
Consumers can reduce their risk for foodborne illness by following safe food-handling recommendations and avoiding the consumption of unpasteurized milk, raw or undercooked oysters, raw or undercooked eggs, raw or undercooked ground beef, and undercooked poultry.
FoodNet is a collaborative effort among CDC, the FDA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state surveillance sites.
