As of July 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has scaled back its Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) to monitor only two pathogens: Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), a CDC spokesperson confirmed to NBC as reported on NBC news.
Before July, the program also tracked infections from six other pathogens: Campylobacter, Cyclospora, Listeria, Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia. Several of these can cause severe or even life-threatening illnesses, especially in newborns, pregnant individuals, and those with weakened immune systems.
Now, the 10 states involved in the program are no longer required to monitor these six pathogens, though they can choose to continue surveillance independently.
Food safety experts worry that the move, which hasn’t previously been made public, could make it harder for public health officials to notice whether certain foodborne pathogens are causing harm.
In addition to noting FoodNet as the only federal surveillance system that actively monitors multiple foodborne illnesses. In contrast, other federal systems are passive, depending on state health departments to report cases to the CDC.
The network is a collaboration among the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, the Agriculture Department and 10 state health departments. Its surveillance area covers roughly 54 million people, or 16% of the U.S. population. The network includes Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee and select counties in California and New York.
The agency released a statement saying: “Although FoodNet will narrow its focus to Salmonella and STEC, it will maintain both its infrastructure and the quality it has come to represent,” the CDC spokesperson wrote. “Narrowing FoodNet’s reporting requirements and associated activities will allow FoodNet staff to prioritize core activities.”
Henrietta Ross, PhD, MPH, a former CDC employee previously cautioned how reducing foodborne illness surveillance could disproportionately affect Black Americans & minorities who already face higher risks for certain health issues. She emphasized that the CDC’s diminished ability to track foodborne outbreaks may worsen existing health disparities.
The quiet scaling back of FoodNet raises serious concerns among public health experts, who warn that reducing active surveillance could delay responses to outbreaks and obscure trends in foodborne illnesses.
As the responsibility shifts to individual states, the consistency and accuracy of national food safety data may suffer potentially putting already vulnerable marginalized populations at a greater risk.
BY: BEWITTY Staff
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