The Centers for Disease Control (hereinafter referred to as the CDC) stated on September 22, 2026 that, coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival, it especially reminds the public and their friends and family that when barbecuing or having meals together, they should pay attention to food safety, avoid consuming raw food or drinks, ensure ingredients are thoroughly grilled or cooked before eating, keep utensils for raw and cooked foods separate to prevent cross‑contamination, and practice proper hand washing, wear masks if symptomatic, and stay home when ill, in order to reduce the risk of intestinal infectious disease infection or transmission.
CDC monitoring data shows that in week 37 (September 13 to September 19) there were 126,419 emergency department visits for diarrhea, which is comparable to the previous week (September 6 to September 12) with 128,026 visits.
The CDC noted that nationwide over the past four weeks (weeks 34 to 37) there have been 70 reported clusters of diarrhea, with the majority occurring in the food and lodging industry; among them, 28 cases tested positive for pathogens, with viral pathogens accounting for 89.3% (25 cases), all identified as norovirus, and bacterial pathogens accounting for 10.7% (3 cases), including two detections of Staphylococcus aureus and one of Salmonella; additionally, norovirus genotyping results for August showed that GII.17 was the predominant circulating type, accounting for about 34.2%.
The CDC reminds that during the Mid‑Autumn holiday, people often have meals together or go barbecuing. Whether dining together or barbecuing, they should ensure ingredients are fresh, handle raw and cooked foods separately to avoid cross‑contamination, avoid consuming insufficiently heated foods, and be sure to wash hands thoroughly with soap after using the restroom, before eating, or before preparing food. If symptoms are suspected, they should avoid handling food, seek medical attention promptly, rest at home, and ensure adequate intake of water, electrolytes, and nutrition. If they need to go out, they should wear a mask and maintain good hand hygiene to prevent transmitting the infection to others.
Source: Centers for Disease Control
Data compiled: Infection Control Section
