Infographic: Food-related illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths in Canada
Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada
Published: 2016-07-05
- 1 in 8 people (4 million Canadians) get sick each year from contaminated food.
- Over 11,500 hospitalizations and 240 deaths occur each year due to food-related illnesses.
- Numbers includes both estimates for 30 foodborne pathogens and unknown causes of acute gastrointestinal illness.
The common culprits in Canada (and estimated number each year) are:
- Norovirus: The leading cause of food-borne illnesses and hospitalizations.
- Illnesses: 1 million
- Hospitalizations: 1,180
- Deaths: 21
- Listeria: The leading cause of deaths related to food-borne illness each year.
- Illnesses: 178
- Hospitalizations: 150
- Deaths: 35
- Salmonella: Contributes to 1 in 4 hospitalizations of all food-borne illnesses.
- Illnesses: 88,000
- Hospitalizations: 925
- Deaths: 17
- E. Coli O157: One of the top food-borne bacteria causing severe illness.
- Illnesses: 12,800
- Hospitalizations: 245
- Deaths: 8
- Campylobacter: The third leading cause of food-borne illnesses and hospitalizations.
- Illnesses: 145,000
- Hospitalizations: 565
- Deaths: 5
Food safety tips:
- Clean your hands, kitchen surfaces and utensils with warm, soapy water.
- Separate raw foods, like meat and eggs, from cooked foods, fruit and veggies to avoid cross-contamination.
- Cook food to safe internal temperatures – use a digital food thermometer.
- Chill food and leftovers within 2 hours.
For more information, visit Canada.ca/FoodSafety
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