One in six Americans experienced a foodborne illness in 2011, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. Of that group, 3,000 died and 128,000 were hospitalized. Bacteria, viruses, and parasites are the most common causes of illness, but environmental toxins and poisons, such as poisonous mushrooms, also contribute to these staggering statistics.
Five pathogens contribute to the majority of deaths — salmonella, toxoplasma, listeria, norovirus, and campylobacter sapp — while eight pathogens account for the majority of foodborne illnesses, the CDC reports. Before the CDC formally tracked food safety data in the 1970s, two outbreaks are believed to have been the deadliest in U.S. history: In 1925, when 150 people in New York City died after eating raw oysters contaminated with typhoid. In 1911 in Boston, unpasteurized milk reportedly killed 48. These figures are unofficial.
Tracking foodborne diseases is not easy. Symptoms and treatments vary widely. A consumer's best bet is to follow the five tenants of food safety: Cook, chill, separate to avoid cross-contamination, clean, and report suspected food-related illnesses.
Here's a look at the 10 deadliest outbreaks in modern American history.
Listeria: Cantaloupe, 2011
Thirty people died after eating cantaloupe melons infected with listeria from September to October 2011, making this the deadliest outbreak of the modern era. Cantaloupe grown in Colorado infected 146 people across 28 states, killing 30. Pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and adults with weakened immune systems are particularly susceptible to the disease. A cantaloupe-related salmonella outbreak this summer has so far sickened more than 140 people and taken two lives, according to the CDC.
Typically, listeria presents as a mild, flu-like infection with fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. It is particularly hard to track and treat because the disease can lie dormant in the body for up to two months after consuming contaminated food. Because listeria infects soil and water, it can work its way into the rind of cantaloupe. All suspect foods should be completely discarded immediately. Listeria infection can be treated with antibiotics, so see a doctor immediately.
Listeria: Queso Fresco Cheese, 1985
A 1985 outbreak in Los Angeles County — in fresh Mexican-style cheese — killed 28 people, including 10 newborns, and sickened 142. It ranks as the second deadliest outbreak in modern history. Because pregnant women were disproportionately infected with listeria — 65.5 percent of all victims — the outbreak caused 20 miscarriages. In the wake of this and other unpasteurized dairy-related outbreaks, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that expectant mothers and children consume only pasteurized dairy products.
Listeria: Cold Cuts and Hot Dogs, 1998
A listeria outbreak in Ball Park hot dogs manufactured by Bil Mar Foods in Chicago, Ill., killed 15 adults, caused six miscarriages or stillbirths, and sickened more than 100 people across 22 states, the CDC reports. At the time of the outbreak, a spokesperson for Bil Mar Foods said errors made while replacing an air conditioning unit in a processing plant allowed bacteria to develop in the products.
Salmonella: Milk, 1985
In the largest salmonella outbreak in milk to date, more than 16,000 people across the upper Midwest fell ill from consuming milk produced at the Hillfarm Dairy in Melrose Park, Ill. Nine people died. It is believed that the reduced-fat milk that carried the bacteria was atypically contaminated after the pasteurization process by salmonella in the pipes used to mix skim and whole milks, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Symptoms of salmonella — diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after exposure to the bacteria — can last for four to seven days. Most people recover without treatment, but if symptoms are severe, patients should seek medical attention immediately, the CDC advises.
Salmonella: Peanut Products, 2008
In 2008, eight people died and at least 690 fell ill after eating peanut products, including peanut butter, contaminated with salmonella. More might have been affected, the CDC reports, because hundreds of salmonella cases go unreported or unconfirmed each year. The source of the outbreak was the Peanut Corp. of America, which was liquidated after declining sales and an FDA investigation forced it to file for bankruptcy.
Listeria: Poultry, 2002
Turkey deli meat caused 46 confirmed illnesses and seven deaths across eight states in 2002, the CDC reports. The illnesses led to the voluntary recall of 27.4 million pounds of fresh and frozen ready-to-eat turkey and chicken products produced in Pennsylvania by Pilgrim's Pride Foods.
People with a high risk of listeria infection — pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and adults with weakened immune systems — should heat cold cuts, hot dogs, and other deli meats to an internal temperature of 165 degrees or until steaming hot just before serving, the CDC recommends.
E. coli: Hamburger, 1993
Undercooked hamburgers at Jack in the Box restaurants in Washington state killed four people, including three children, and sickened about 400 others who had eaten the burgers or come in contact with people who were infected, the CDC reports. To date, this is the deadliest E. coli outbreak in American history.
E. coli virus can be transferred via fecal matter and can occur because of poor hygiene or inadequate hand-washing. Cook meat to an appropriate temperature and drink pasteurized dairy products. Always wash your hands before and after eating, and after using the restroom.
Hepatitis A: Green Onions, 2003
Green onions infected with hepatitis A served at a restaurant in Pennsylvania infected more than 600 people and killed three in 2003, the CDC reports. Because the illness incubates for two to six weeks after infection, many diners passed the disease on to family members and sexual partners without realizing it, the CDC explains.
This foodborne hepatitis outbreak is the largest on record in U.S. history. Now, hepatitis A outbreaks are relatively rare in the United States, where a hepatitis A vaccine is widely available.
E. coli: Spinach, 2006
Three people died and at least 276 fell ill across 26 states due to E. coli-contaminated spinach in 2006, though the CDC estimates the total number was much higher. The outbreak was traced to bagged fresh spinach produced in San Benito County, Calif. Because of the widespread nature of the outbreak, the FDA and CDC warned consumers against eating any kind of fresh spinach or spinach-containing products throughout the summer. The FDA also speculated that washing the spinach was insufficient to remove the bacteria because E. coli can be absorbed through spinach roots and live inside the spinach plant.
E. coli: Apple Juice, 1996
Unpasteurized apple juice from the manufacturer Odwalla killed one infant and sickened at least 66 people, the CDC reports. According to testimony from a company inspector after the outbreak, E. coli appeared because Odwalla made a batch of bottled apple juice with blemished, decaying fruit. Odwalla made unpasteurized juices that were promoted as a health food, even though pasteurization has long been the standard in the juice industry. After the incident, Odwalla began to "flash pasteurize" its juices, using a heat-pasteurization method meant to maintain flavor better than other pasteurization processes.
- Last Updated: 08/21/12