E. Coli Cases in U.S. Fell 36% in 2003

The number of food-borne illnesses caused by a potentially fatal strain of Escherichia coli bacteria fell sharply in the United States last year, partly because of improved testing and processing of meat, federal officials said Thursday.

There were 443 laboratory-confirmed cases of E. coli O157 reported in 2003, a drop of 36% from the previous year, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s FoodNet surveillance system. The number of Campylobacter, salmonella and Yersinia infections -- three of the most common food-borne diseases -- also continued to decline last year.