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

Close-up shot of a platter of cold cuts including salami, pepperoni and cured ham.

Learn About an Outbreak of Listeria Infections Linked to Deli Meats.

Dried wood ears (black fungus)

Learn About an Outbreak of Salmonella Stanley Infections Linked to Wood Ear Mushrooms

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

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

Deli Meats – Listeria monocytogenes
Wood Ear Mushrooms – Salmonella Stanley
Bagged Salad Mix – Cyclospora

Pet Bearded Dragons – Salmonella Muenster
Pet Hedgehogs – Salmonella Typhimurium
Backyard Poultry – Salmonella Infections
Pet Store Puppies – Campylobacter jejuni

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: October 23, 2020

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)