Sepsis Can Be Costly Consequence of Foodborne Illnesses

For some, foodborne illness presents itself as an uncomfortable inconvenience. For others, foodborne infections from bacteria, viruses, or parasites can result in sepsis, leading to serious and potentially deadly complications. Infections with sepsis come at a cost. In a recent study, researchers from USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) and Colorado School of Public Health found the average hospitalization for a case of foodborne infection with sepsis was nearly twice as expensive as one without. They estimated that hospitalizations from foodborne illness with sepsis cost a total of $420 million annually from 2012 to 2015. They also found that four times as many patients with foodborne infections who developed sepsis died as those who did not develop sepsis. Sepsis is an inflammatory response throughout the body to an infection that results in tissue damage, organ failure, and sometimes death. Sepsis may require treatment in intensive care units. According to the U.S. Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, it is one of the most expensive conditions treated in U.S. hospitals, resulting in 5.8 percent of hospital stays and 8.8 percent of hospital costs in the United States in 2017.