Prevalence and Incidence of Salmonella food poisoning

About prevalence and incidence statistics: The term 'prevalence' of Salmonella food poisoning usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Salmonella food poisoning at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Salmonella food poisoning refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Salmonella food poisoning diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence. For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.

Incidence (annual) of Salmonella food poisoning: estimated 1.4 million cases (CDC estimate/NIAID, many unreported)
Incidence Rate: approx 1 in 194 or 0.51% or 1.4 million people in USA [about data]
Undiagnosed prevalence of Salmonella food poisoning: up to 1.4 million cases (CDC/NAID); estimated that only 2% of cases are reported to CDC
Undiagnosed prevalence rate: approx 1 in 194 or 0.51% or 1.4 million people in USA [about data]
Prevalance of Salmonella food poisoning: Every year, approximately 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported in the United States. Because many milder cases are not diagnosed or reported, the actual number of infections may be twenty or more times greater.¹ ... An estimated 1.4 million cases occur annually in the United States; of these, approximately 40,000 are culture-confirmed cases reported to CDC. ²

Prevelance of Salmonella food poisoning discussion: Because many ill persons to not seek attention, and of those that do, many are not tested, many cases of foodborne illness go undiagnosed. For example, CDC estimates that 38 cases of salmonellosis actually occur for every case that is actually diagnosed and reported to public health authorities. ³

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1.4 million people in the United States are infected each year with Salmonella. Only a small proportion of infected people are tested and diagnosed, with as few as 2 percent of cases reported to CDC. Salmonellosis may occur in small, localized outbreaks in the general population or in large outbreaks in hospitals, restaurants, or institutions for children or the elderly.⁴

Every year, approximately 800,000 to 4 million cases of Salmonella result in 500 deaths in the United States. Children are the most likely to get Salmonella. Young children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised are the most likely to have severe infections. ⁵

Incidence statistics about Salmonella food poisoning: The following statistics relate to the incidence of Salmonella food poisoning:

43,694 cases (1998)
40,596 annual cases notified in USA 1999 (MMWR 1999)
18.37 per 100,000 in Canada 2000⁶
39.4 new cases of salmonellosis per 100,000 population was notified in Australia 2002 (Yohannes K, Roche P, Blumer C et al. 2004, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
7,756 new cases of salmonellosis was notified in Australia 2002 (Yohannes K, Roche P, Blumer C et al. 2004, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
39,574 new cases of salmonella occurred annually in the US 2000 (Health, United States: 2002, NCHS, CDC)

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Salmonellosis (General): DBMD
2. excerpt from Salmonellosis: DBMD
3. excerpt from Foodborne Infections General: DBMD
4. excerpt from Foodborne Diseases, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID
5. excerpt from Salmonella: CDC-OC
6. Notifiable Diseases Online, PPHB, Canada, 2000

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