Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch

CDC’s lead epidemiology and surveillance group for tracking pathogens and identifying sources for bacterial enteric (intestinal) infections transmitted by food and other routes.

Activities

Monitoring human illness caused by bacteria, and measuring the incidence
Estimating the number of foodborne illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths
Attributing illness to transmission routes and to specific foods and settings
Targeting prevention measures to meet food safety goals
Providing data and analyses that inform action and policy to improve public health and food safety

Enteric bacteria typically enter the body through the mouth. They are acquired through contaminated food and water, by contact with animals or their environments, by contact with the feces of an infected person, and through other means. Every year, millions of cases of foodborne illness and thousands of associated deaths occur in the United States. The illness burden is even higher in low-resource countries. Much of this burden could be prevented with implementation of prevention measures based on scientific data. We are working to meet national goals to decrease the burden of bacterial diarrheal illness by the year 2030.

We accomplish our work through surveillance, investigation, and research to identify causes, sources, and prevention measures for bacterial infections. Our central values are scientific rigor, rapid response to emergencies, service to regulatory agencies and state health departments, and close collaboration with laboratory colleagues.