At a glance
- CDC receives reports of infections, identifies prevention measures, and provides data to inform food safety action.
- USDA-FSIS and FDA regulate food products, establishing and enforcing standards to prevent and limit contamination.
- CDC collects and analyzes data on Campylobacter infections through a number of surveillance systems.
Public health agency efforts
What CDC is doing
State health departments report cases of Campylobacter infection to CDC. Through a number of surveillance systems, CDC
- Monitors cases
- Tracks antimicrobial resistance
- Estimates the total number of people infected each year
- Identifies prevention measures to meet food safety goals
- Provides data and analyses that inform food safety action and policy
What other agencies are doing
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS)
USDA-FSIS regulates meat, poultry, and processed eggs. The agency establishes and enforces performance standards limiting Campylobacter contamination rates in these products. It also posts contamination testing results online.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
FDA regulates all foods other than those regulated by USDA-FSIS. FDA publishes the Food Code, a model for regulating retail and food service establishments. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus to preventing contamination.
CDC surveillance systems collecting Campylobacter data
Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) collects data on human infections caused by Campylobacter.
Laboratory Enteric Disease Surveillance (LEDS) collects data on laboratory-confirmed Campylobacter infections from state public health laboratories.
National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) tracks changes in antimicrobial resistance among Campylobacter bacteria isolated from humans, meat sold at retail, and food animals.
National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) collects data from state health departments about outbreaks linked to Campylobacter.
PulseNet compares the DNA fingerprints of Campylobacter from patients to find groups of infections that may indicate an outbreak.