New Data on Outbreaks Linked to Fish


Fish continue to be an important source of foodborne outbreaks, according to a CDC study. “Fish-Associated Foodborne Disease Outbreaks: United States, 1998-2015” was published in Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. The types of fish most often linked to outbreaks are tuna (37%), mahi-mahi (10%), and grouper (9%).
The study reviewed nearly two decades of data on foodborne disease outbreaks. It found that the average number of outbreaks linked to fish decreased from 62 per year between 1998 and 2006 to 34 per year from 2007 to 2015. However, the percentage of outbreaks linked to fish did not change when compared to all foodborne outbreaks (8% from 1998 to 2006 compared to 9% from 2007 to 2015).
The number of fish outbreaks varied greatly by year, and occurred more often in warmer months. Many regulations around fisheries and fish products were implemented during the study period and may be partly responsible for overall decline in fish outbreaks.