Approximately how many people in the US get foodborne illnesses each year?

• A. 5 thousand
• B. 1,000,000
• C. 48 million sick, 128,000 hospitalized, 3,000 deaths
• D. 100,000

Answer: (C)

Understanding the real impact of foodborne illness requires looking at population-wide estimates, because many people with mild symptoms never seek medical care or get tested. The best answer reflects the widely cited CDC estimates that, each year in the United States, about 48 million people get sick from foodborne pathogens, roughly 128,000 are hospitalized, and about 3,000 die. These numbers come from adjusting reported cases upward to account for underreporting and underdiagnosis across all ages and illnesses, not just the severe or outbreak-associated cases. That’s why the large figure is correct: it captures the heavy burden of foodborne disease when you consider the full spectrum of illness, including those not captured by illness surveillance alone. The smaller figures don’t fit because they underestimate how many people actually become ill or require hospitalization or result in death when all cases are counted. For context, many common culprits include norovirus, Salmonella, and Campylobacter, among others, and the burden is spread across the whole population.