[Editorial] Foodborne pathogen surveillance cut by the CDC

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have quietly scaled back the USA's most robust tracking system for foodborne illness. The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (or FoodNet) had monitored eight disease-causing pathogens across ten states for nearly three decades; this has now been slashed to just two bugs—salmonella and Escherichia coli. According to CDC spokespeople, the change will allow them to better prioritise and steward resources, with the two chosen pathogens among the top contributors to foodborne illness, hospitalisation, and death.