An assessment of the human health impact of seven leading foodborne pathogens in the United States using disability adjusted life years

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection Vol. 143; no. 13; pp. 2795 - 2804
• Main Authors: SCALLAN, E., HOEKSTRA, R. M., MAHON, B. E., JONES, T. F., GRIFFIN, P. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Cambridge University Press 01-10-2015
• Subjects: Binomial distribution; Caliciviridae Infections - epidemiology; Campylobacter; Campylobacter Infections - epidemiology; Clostridium Infections - epidemiology; Congenital diseases; Cost of Illness; Disease; E coli; Escherichia coli Infections - epidemiology; Estimates; Food Microbiology; Food Safety; Foodborne Diseases - epidemiology; Foodborne Diseases - microbiology; Foodborne Diseases - mortality; Gastroenteritis; Gastrointestinal Infection; Guillain-Barre syndrome; Health care; Hospitalization; Humans; Illnesses; Incidence; Infections; Irritable bowel syndrome; Listeria; Listeriosis - epidemiology; Meningitis; Mortality; Original Papers; Pathogens; Population Surveillance; Pregnancy; Public health; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; Salmonella Food Poisoning - epidemiology; Stillbirth; Surveillance; Toxoplasmosis - epidemiology; United States - epidemiology; United States; United States > US; ANW, Canada; ANE, Europe; USA; foodborne infections; Salmonella; Campylobacter
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/s0950268814003185

We explored the overall impact of foodborne disease caused by seven leading foodborne pathogens in the United States using the disability adjusted life year (DALY). We defined health states for each pathogen (acute illness and sequelae) and estimated the average annual incidence of each health state using data from public health surveillance and previously published estimates from studies in the United States, Canada and Europe. These pathogens caused about 112 000 DALYs annually due to foodborne illnesses acquired in the United States. Non-typhoidal Salmonella (32 900) and Toxoplasma (32 700) caused the most DALYs, followed by Campylobacter (22 500), norovirus (9900), Listeria monocytogenes (8800), Clostridium perfringens (4000), and Escherichia coli O157 (1200). These estimates can be used to prioritize food safety interventions. Future estimates of the burden of foodborne disease in DALYs would be improved by addressing important data gaps and by the development and validation of US-specific disability weights for foodborne diseases.