Purpose
CDC collects, analyzes, and disseminates national surveillance data on bacterial enteric illnesses in order to provide a national snapshot of the occurrence of infections transmitted commonly through food and other means. Our goal is to decrease the burden of acute bacterial enteric illnesses in the United States.
Overview
CDC collects data on nationally notifiable enteric bacterial infections. These infections include botulism (caused by toxin-producing Clostridia bacteria, including Clostridium botulinum), invasive Cronobacter infection among infants, and infections caused by Campylobacter spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp. (including those causing typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever), Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), Shigella spp., and Vibrio spp. (including those causing cholera).
Types of surveillance
National case-based surveillance
CDC conducts national case-based surveillance for botulism, cholera and other Vibrio illnesses (including V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus infections), Listeria infections, typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever, and invasive Cronobacter infections among infants.
State, tribal, local, and territorial partners submit case data for infections with nationally notifiable enteric pathogens through the System for Enteric Disease Response, Investigation, and Coordination (SEDRIC).
Case data includes information about the specific infection, such as symptoms of illness and when they started, demographic information about the ill person (e.g., age, sex, state of residence), and key risk factor information (e.g., travel, activities, foods consumed) for the specific infection.
National laboratory-based surveillance
CDC conducts national laboratory-based surveillance for infections caused by Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, and STEC.
State and territorial public health laboratories submit information about bacteria that have been identified by laboratory testing of ill persons.
Laboratory data includes limited demographic information about the ill person and specimen information (e.g., species or serotype of bacteria, specimen source, type of test used).
Data and reports
Learn more about the collection of national enteric disease surveillance data and read annual summaries of national data.
National Botulism Surveillance
National Cholera and Vibriosis Surveillance
National Cronobacter Surveillance
National Listeria Surveillance
National Salmonella Surveillance
National Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli Surveillance
Resources
Use CDC's searchable data tools for more information on enteric pathogens and diseases.
BEAM Dashboard — Use the Bacteria, Enterics, Amoeba, and Mycotics (BEAM) Dashboard to access and visualize data from CDC systems that track enteric illnesses caused by bacterial, viral, and parasitic agents, and other foodborne, waterborne, and fungal diseases.
FoodNet Fast — FoodNet Fast provides access to information on enteric pathogens and diseases reported to the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), which includes about 16% of the U.S. population.
NARMS Now — NARMS Now contains antibiotic resistance data from bacteria isolated from humans as part of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS).