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. 2015 Oct;143(13):2795-804.
doi: 10.1017/S0950268814003185. Epub 2015 Jan 30.

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

E Scallan  1 , R M Hoekstra  2 , B E Mahon  3 , T F Jones  4 , P M Griffin  3
Affiliations

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

E Scallan et al. Epidemiol Infect. 2015 Oct.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Campylobacter; Salmonella; foodborne infections.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Percentage of DALYs attributable to years of life lost (YLL) due to premature mortality and the number of years lost due to disability (YLD) from domestically acquired foodborne illnesses for seven leading foodborne pathogens, United States.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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