A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that the incidence of eight domestically acquired infections commonly transmitted through food either increased or remained stable in 2023 compared to the 2016-2018 baseline. This news highlights the challenges in meeting federal disease reduction goals set by the Healthy People 2030 (HP2030) initiative. The preliminary 2023 data from the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) indicates that despite ongoing public health efforts, infections such as campylobacteriosis, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection, yersiniosis, vibriosis, and cyclosporiasis saw an increase.
In contrast, incidences of listeriosis, salmonellosis and shigellosis remained stable. Rising infections and diagnostic changes A significant factor contributing to the reported rise in foodborne infections is the increased use of culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs). These tests, which allow for quicker and more efficient diagnosis of infections, have become more prevalent in recent years.
While CIDTs have improved the speed of clinical diagnosis and treatment, they also present challenges for public health surveillance. CIDTs work by detecting the presence of a gene or antigen associated with a specific pathogen. CIDTs can be conducted more rapidly and yield results far sooner than traditional culture-based methods.
According to the CDC, the percentage of infections diagnosed by CIDTs continued .
