How many foodborne illnesses are there each year?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates there are 76 million cases of foodborne illness each year, resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. How many foodborne pathogens are there? We don’t know. More than 200 known diseases are caused by pathogens, their toxins, or other substances transmitted through food. A cause has not been identified for more than half of all recognized foodborne disease outbreaks, indicating that the real number of disease-causing agents is likely to be much larger than 200. The recognized microbiological causes of foodborne illness include viruses, bacteria, parasites, and toxins produced by algae and fungi.
