Across the nation
April 15, 2005

Major food-borne diseases -- including E. coli and listeria -- have dropped dramatically in the United States since the late 1990s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The decline is attributed to better food-industry practices.

The rate of E. coli infections decreased 42 percent since 1996-98. Cases of listeria dropped 40 percent, to 2.7 in 1 million people, researchers found.

The drop in salmonella was the smallest -- 8 percent, to 14.7 cases per 100,000 -- mainly because health officials still know little about the bacteria, the CDC said.