Recent E.coli outbreak illnesses and deaths U.S. 1993-2015

There have been several major E. coli outbreaks in the U.S. between 1993 and 2015. The 1993 outbreak, which started at a Jack in the Box Hamburgers, resulted in 100 illnesses and 4 deaths. However, the 2006 outbreak, which stemmed from Dole baby spinach, resulted in 205 illnesses and 3 deaths. E. Coli is just one of many kinds of foodborne illnesses that affect residents of the U.S.

Foodborne illnesses

Symptoms of a foodborne illness include, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps and upset stomach, to name a few. Foodborne illnesses include Salmonella, E. coli, and various other kinds of bacteria and viruses. In a recent survey, U.S. adults stated that their primary concerns with food safety in the U.S. were food-borne illnesses from bacteria in food. Despite having concerns regarding food-borne illnesses from bacteria, not all adults were aware of the specific pathogens that caused food-borne illnesses. Another survey indicated that a majority of all adults knew about Salmonella and E. coli, yet few had heard of Campylobacter and Toxoplasma.

Outbreaks

Food safety concerns in the U.S. are monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In general, the number of foodborne disease outbreaks in the U.S. has decreased in recent history. However, in the same time period, the number of Salmonella cases has increased. Salmonella has accounted for a majority of the foodborne illnesses in the U.S. as of 2016.