Approximately how many Americans get sick from foodborne illness each year?

• A. 10 million
• B. 100 million
• C. 1 million
• D. 48 million

Answer: (D)

The question is testing how many people in the U.S. are affected by foodborne illness each year, using national burden estimates. The best figure is about 48 million Americans getting sick annually. This aligns with CDC estimates that include illnesses from common pathogens like norovirus, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E. coli, and it counts people who may not seek medical care as well as those who do. The idea is that foodborne illness is everywhere and affects roughly 1 in 6 Americans each year, not just a few million or well over a hundred million.

Why the other numbers don’t fit as well: 10 million is too low given how many illnesses occur nationwide; 1 million is far too low by an order of magnitude; 100 million is too high for annual foodborne illnesses based on surveillance and burden data.