Volume 7, Number 7—June 2001
THEME ISSUE
International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases 2000
Conference Presentations
Food Safety and Irradiation: Protecting the Public from Foodborne Infections 1
Table 3
Potential number of health problems prevented annually if 50% of meat and poultry are irradiated
| Pathogen | Cases | Hospitalizations | Major complications | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E. coli O157:H7 and other STEC | 23,000 | 700 | At least 250 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome | 20 |
| Campylobacter | 500,000 | 2,600 | 250 cases of GBS | 25 |
| Salmonella | 330,000 | 4,000 | 6,000 cases of reactive arthropathy | 140 |
| Listeria | 625 | 575 | 60 miscarriages | 125 |
| Toxoplasma |
28,000 |
625 |
100-1,000 cases of congenital toxoplasmosis |
94 |
| Total | 881,625 | 8,500 | 6,660 catastrophic illnesses | 352 |
1Adapted from a talk given on July 19, 2000 at the 2nd International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, GA.
