You’re less likely to get sick from E. coli now than a few years ago.
Americans experienced lower rates of infection from some of the leading causes of food poisoning in 2014 compared to 2006-2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday.
Infection rates are down for E. coli and some types of salmonella, which are dangerous bacteria found in beef, poultry and eggs. Cases of E. coli infection fell by 32 percent over the last nine years and 19 percent over the last three years.
But the agency said overall infection rates haven’t changed, as cases rose for other types of dangerous germs. Those include campylobacter — which can be found in raw poultry — and vibrio, which live in raw oysters or undercooked shellfish. Often called “flesh-eating bacteria,” vibrio can cause skin lesions, damage organs and even death.
Robert Tauxe, deputy director of CDC’s Division of Foodborne Waterborne and Environmental Diseases, said efforts to reduce infections from both types of germs have paid off.
“We’re cautiously optimistic that changes in food safety practice are having an impact in decreasing E. coli and we know that without all the food safety work to fight salmonella that more people would be getting sick with salmonella than we are seeing now,” Tauxe said.
“However, much more needs to be done to protect people from foodborne illness,” he said.
The CDC tracks nine foodborne germs, but E. coli has received the most public attention, as it’s been found in ground beef and fresh spinach in several highly publicized outbreaks.
