FoodNet, the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, has cut mandatory monitoring to two pathogens: salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, beginning in July. Ten participating state health departments are now required only to track infections from those two bacteria. Previously required surveillance for campylobacter, cyclospora, listeria, shigella, vibrio and Yersinia is now optional. The CDC said narrowing requirements lets staff prioritize core activities and steward resources. State and food safety officials warned the change could slow outbreak detection, obscure the full scope of food-related infections, and weaken long-term ability to understand risks in the food supply. Funding link remains unclear.
Under the change, which began in July, health departments in 10 states that participate in the joint state and federal program will be required to monitor only foodborne infections caused by salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli bacteria. Those are among the top contributors to foodborne illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S., the CDC said. Previously, the FoodNet system required surveillance of infections confirmed to be caused by six other germs as well: campylobacter, cyclospora, listeria, shigella, vibrio and Yersinia.
Narrowing the reporting requirements will allow FoodNet staff to prioritize core activities, CDC spokesman Paul Prince said in a statement. The move lets the agency steward resources effectively, he added. It's not clear whether the action is connected to recent funding cuts enacted by the Trump Administration. But food safety officials, including those in states that participate in the program, said the change could slow detection of foodborne illness outbreaks and obscure the full picture of food-related infections.
Collection
[
|
...
]