Norovirus is the most common foodborne pathogen in the US and Canada. But the odds of getting food poisoning and the pathogens in second, third and fourth place vary depending on what country you’re in, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
For example, one eighth of all Canadians are estimated to be sickened by food poisoning annually, slightly less than the US where one sixth of the population is affected. And, in Canada, the top four causes of food poisoning are Norovirus, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter and non-typhoidal Salmonella. In the US, the same pathogens are the top four, but the rank in different order: Norovirus, non-typhoidal Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, and Campylobacter.
The cause of most cases of food poisoning in Canada is not known. About 60 percent of the 4 million food poisoning cases that occur in Canada annually are from unspecified agents. Of the 40 percent with known sources, about 65 percent (1,047,733 people) are caused by norovirus, 11 percent (176,963) by Clostridium perfringens, 8 percent (145,350 people) by Campylobacter and 5 percent (87,510 people) by Salmonella.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year in the United States, about 20 million people get sick from Norovirus. More than 1.2 million people get food poisoning from Salmonella. Of those, 23,000 are hospitalized and 450 die.
