Higher Temperatures, Extreme Weather Events Are Contributing To Increase In U.S. Foodborne Bacteria Outbreaks
On Sunday, federal regulators announced that one person has died and 39 people have fallen ill in an E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots. While sick counts are often underreported in bacterial outbreaks, at least 15 people have been hospitalized in relation to the contaminated carrots, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Whence the next pandemic? Cities Where the Next Pandemic Is Most Likely to Break Out
New border crisis? Climate Change Pushing Vampire Bats North Into Texas
Organic carrots are the latest recalled product in a year with above-average outbreak activity. In October, an outbreak of E. coli linked to onions served at McDonald’s led to one death and 104 cases of illness across 14 states. Earlier in the year, an outbreak of Listeria linked to Boar’s Head brand deli meats caused 59 hospitalizations and at least 10 deaths nationwide.
In general, product recalls have increased in recent years. According to FDA data, the number of U.S. product recalls has increased at an average annual rate of 7.1% since 2021. There have already been 6,524 product recalls so far this year, more than the 6,219-recall tally for 2023.
While food recalls are often the result of allergen and foreign object contaminations that can arise from complex supply chains, one factor contributing to increased bacteria outbreaks and recall activity is climate change. Warmer temperatures create an ideal environment for bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria to multiply, increasing the risk of food contamination.
More frequent extreme weather events like floods and storms can also increase the spread of pathogens from livestock and sewage into human populations. In Florida, for example, cases of Vibrio vulnificus – a “flesh-eating” bacterium – doubled after Hurricane Helene, the virus transmission induced by storm surge and the spread of warm, brackish water around coastal areas.
Warmer temperatures can also make more hospitable environments for disease-transmitting vectors like mosquitos, ticks, and fleas. Altered ecosystems can grow and shrink wildlife habitat ranges, shifting animal populations and increasing the risk of animal-human disease spillover. For more about how climate change is increasing the spread of infectious disease, see the counties where global warming is causing Lyme disease incidence to skyrocket.
More from ClimateCrisis 247
- Air Pollution Can Trigger Dementia
- The $1 Billion Road To Fresh Water
- Greece Hotter Than Saudi Arabia As Temps Hit 122 Degrees
- Another “Storm Of The Century”
