--- title: The Economic Impact of Salmonella Infections date: 2021-01-29T12:04:00-08:00 author: admin canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/the-economic-impact-of-salmonella-infections" section: Resource Library --- [Foodborne Illnesses](/foodborne-illnesses) / [Salmonella](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella) / # The Economic Impact of Salmonella Infections The economic burden of illness depends on its frequency, severity, and health impact. Estimates of the cost of [foodborne illness](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/) play an important role in guiding government efforts to prevent foodborne illness in the United States. The [USDA’s](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/usda-reviews-regulations-for-meat-safety) Economic Research Service (ERS) published its first comprehensive cost estimates for sixteen foodborne bacterial pathogens in 1989. In 2000, the ERS estimated that the cost of illness from five major foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella, was $6.9 billion per year. In 2012, new comprehensive cost-of-illness estimates were published for the first time in a decade. Integrating the 2011 Scallan et al. estimates of foodborne illness, Scharff used an enhanced cost-of-illness model that incorporated a more inclusive pain, suffering, and functional disability measure. Scharff estimated the annual cost of foodborne illness for all pathogens to be as high as $77.7 billion (90% Confidence Interval, $28.6 to $144.6 billion). In the same year, Hoffman et al. estimated that illness from 14 major pathogens in the U.S. costs $14.1 billion. The difference between the two estimates is driven by several factors used to calculate cost estimates in the two studies. The studies consider different medical complications associated with foodborne illnesses and use different methods to place a value on lost pregnancies, neonatal deaths, and the productivity of parents taking time away from work to care for sick children. When these methodological differences are controlled for statistically, the estimates are more closely aligned ($14.1 billion, Hoffmann et al. and $16.3 billion, Scharff). However, there is little difference in the ranking of cost per pathogen between the two studies. Both Hoffmann et al. and Scharff estimated the cost of nontyphoidal Salmonella to be the highest among all foodborne pathogens. Hoffmann et al. estimated the total economic burden of foodborne Salmonella in the United States to be $3.7 billion in 2013. Scharff estimated the annual cost of [foodborne Salmonella](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella) to be $1.14 billion (90% Confidence Interval, 2.45 million to 2.9 billion). [ Next: Real Life Impacts of Salmonella Infection › ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/real-life-impacts-of-salmonella-infection) ### More information about Salmonella [December 30, 2022 ###### FDA weighs in on Sun Sprouts Salmonella Outbreak The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local partners, is investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium ... ](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/fda-weighs-in-on-sun-sprouts-salmonella-outbreak) [December 11, 2022 ###### 4 Restaurant Chains That Have Had Salmonella Outbreaks In late June of 2003, the Lake County Health Department (LCHD) was contacted by health care providers who had treated patients for Salmonellosis, and customers who had experienced a diarrheal ... ](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/4-restaurant-chains-that-have-had-salmonella-outbreaks) [October 23, 2022 ###### Raw Fish is Salmonella Risk in California and Arizona ... ](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/raw-fish-is-salmonella-risk-in-california-and-arizona) [September 27, 2022 ###### Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce Cucumber Outbreak Marler Clark, the Salmonella Lawyers, filed 12 lawsuits and were retained by over two dozen families. As of October 14, 2015, 71 more ill people were reported from 23 states ... ](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/andrew-williamson-fresh-produce-cucumber-outbreak) [1. View all ](/news_events/outbreaks?illness=salmonella&year=all) ## All Salmonella Resources [###### Salmonella Food Poisoning ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/about-salmonella) [###### The Incidence of Salmonella Infections ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/the-incidence-of-salmonella-infections) [###### The Prevalence of Salmonella in Food and Elsewhere ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/the-prevalence-of-salmonella-in-food-and-elsewhere) [###### Transmission of Salmonella Bacteria ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/transmission-of-salmonella-bacteria) [###### Symptoms of Salmonella Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/salmonella-symptoms-risks) [###### Complications of Salmonella Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/complications-of-salmonella-infection) [###### How is Salmonella Infection Diagnosed? ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/salmonella-diagnosis) [###### Treatment for Salmonella Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/salmonella-treatment) [###### Antimicrobial Resistance ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/antibiotic-resistance) [###### The Economic Impact of Salmonella Infections ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/the-economic-impact-of-salmonella-infections) [###### Real Life Impacts of Salmonella Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/real-life-impacts-of-salmonella-infection) [###### How to Prevent a Salmonella Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/salmonella-prevention) [###### Salmonella Outbreaks ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/salmonella-outbreaks) [###### Salmonella Outbreak at Minnesota Chipotle Sickens 64 People ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/salmonella-outbreak-at-minnesota-chipotle-sickens-64-people) [###### Citterio Salame Stick Oubreak ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/citterio-salame-stick-oubreak) [###### Salmonella Recalls ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella/salmonella-recalls) ### Other foodborne illnesses [E. coli](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli) [Listeria](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria) [Hepatitis A](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/hepatitis-a) [Reactive Arthritis](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/reactive-arthritis) [Guillain-Barre Syndrome](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/guillain-barre-syndrome) [Irritable Bowel Syndrome](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/irritable-bowel-syndrome) [Norovirus](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus) [Botulism](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism) [Campylobacter](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter) [Shigella](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella) [Cyclospora](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/cyclospora) [Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/hemolytic-uremic-syndrome)