The CDC says that seven pathogens cause 9.9 million illnesses every year in the United States. This estimate is used to allocate resources and prioritize interventions. The seven pathogens are Campylobacter, Clostridium perfringens, invasive Listeria monocytogenes, norovirus, Salmonella, Toxoplasma gondii, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). And those illnesses cause about 53,000 hospitalizations and 931 deaths. Norovirus caused the most illnesses, followed by Campylobacter, and Salmonella. Salmonella infections were the leading cause of death, with 238 every year, followed by Campylobacter with 197 deaths and norovirus with 174. The issue with this estimate is that public health reports are limited because not all people sickened by those pathogens seek medical care and … [Read more...]