Foodborne Outbreaks | Food Safety | CDC

Foodborne Outbreaks

During a multistate foodborne disease outbreak, CDC serves as lead coordinator between public health partners to detect the outbreak, define its size and extent, and to identify the source.

Public health officials investigate outbreaks to control them, so more people do not get sick in the outbreak, and to learn how to prevent similar outbreaks from happening in the future.

List of Selected Multistate Foodborne Outbreak Investigations

Learn about an E. coli outbreak linked to packaged salads.

Packaged salad mix over a white background.

Learn about a Listeria outbreak linked to packaged salads produced by Fresh Express.

Packaged salad mix over a white background.

Learn about a Listeria outbreak linked to packaged salads produced by Dole.

White, yellow, and red onions

Learn about a Salmonella outbreak linked to onions.

Collage of different foods and animals that caused outbreaks in 2016.

Read the Summary of Possible Multistate Enteric (Intestinal) Disease Outbreaks in 2016

Types of Data Used to Solve Outbreaks infographic

Types of Data Used to Solve Outbreaks

Check out the infographic!

Photo of Salmonella pathogen

Learn About Food Poisoning Symptoms

Multistate Outbreaks

List of Foodborne Outbreaks, CDC’s Role, Foodborne Illness Q & A, MMWR Reports, Annual Summaries

Surveillance and Reporting

Outbreak Surveillance, Reporting Systems, Questionnaires and Tools

Investigating Outbreaks

Guide to Investigating Outbreaks, Reporting Foodborne Illness, Laboratory Resources

Prevention and Education

Preventing Future Outbreaks, Educational Materials and Resources, Conferences

Recent Outbreak Investigations

Foodborne Outbreaks
Outbreaks Linked to Animals

Packaged Salads – E. coli O157:H7
Fresh Market Packaged Salads – Listeria monocytogenes
Dole Packaged Salads – Listeria monocytogenes
Onions – Salmonella Oranienburg

Pet Bearded Dragons – Salmonella Uganda

Report a Foodborne Illness

group of people

Health Departments

health department

Healthcare Workers

healthcare professionals

CDC in Action: Foodborne Outbreaks

Low Resolution Video

Watch the Video

Preventing Outbreaks

The Food Production Chain. Click the image to get a larger view.

Outbreak investigations play a key role in preventing future outbreaks.

Page last reviewed: January 11, 2022

Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases (DFWED)