The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns more steps need to be taken against multi-state pathogen outbreaks.
The CDC says such outbreaks cause more than half of all deaths in foodborne disease outbreaks.
The agency’s latest Vital Signs report found that the leading causes of multi-state outbreaks, Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria are more dangerous that the leading causes of single-state outbreaks, according to Meatingplace.
The report notes that these three pathogens cause 91 percent of multi-state outbreaks and can contaminate a wide variety of food products, including beef, chicken, vegetables and fresh fruit.
Salmonella accounted for the most illnesses and hospitalizations, while Listeria caused the most deaths, mostly from the 2011 outbreak involving contaminated cantaloupe.
The CDC is calling on food industries to play what it described as a “larger role in improving food safety” by following best practices for growing, processing and shipping foods.
