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CDC report finds marine toxins continue to present foodborne disease outbreak threat in the US
A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that marine toxins continue to be responsible for most of the noninfectious foodborne outbreaks that occur in the U.S. every year, and of the cases reported, nearly all are linked to two types: scombroid toxin and ciguatoxin. Using data from the CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System (FDOSS), the study analyzed 402 noninfectious foodborne disease outbreaks that occurred from 2011 to 2023 and led to 1,280 illnesses, 96 hospitalizations, and one death. The CDC explained that for an incident to be an outbreak, there must be two or more cases of a similar illness that are associated with a common food exposure. Scombroid toxin is caused by a harmful buildup of histamine formed when bacteria multiply on fish that are not properly stored from catch to consumption. Once that histamine is formed, it cannot be destroyed through cooking, freezing, or canning and can cause food poisoning. According to the study, among the 189 scombroid toxin outbreaks that occurred over the 12-year period with an identified food source, 76 percent implicated tuna as the culprit. Of the 131 outbreaks with known import status, 53 percent stemmed from imported...
