Incidence of foodborne illnesses: 1999 data from FoodNet.

Foodborne illnesses represent a large burden on the US population and public health system. The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) collects data on foodborne diseases in eight US sites. Since 1997, there has been a 19% decline in the incidence of bacterial foodborne infections. The 1999 FoodNet data indicated a 19% decrease in incidence of Campylobacter infections and a 44% decrease in incidence of Shigella infections from 1998 to 1999. In 1999 the rate of Salmonella infections increased, whereas the rate of E. coli 0157 infections decreased. These declines were concurrent with several interventions, including implementation of mandated changes in meat and poultry processing plants, increased attention to 'good agricultural practices', and increased consumer awareness.