Thank you for your inquiry about illnesses from genetically modified corn. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a federal agency under the United States Department of Human Health Services. CDC is organized by centers that focus on specific areas; such as environmental health, infectious disease, injury, occupational health, chronic disease and health promotion, and health statistics.

Genetically modified organisms have recently become an important topic because some species have been used to kill or repel unwanted pests (i.e., pesticides) that ruin food crops. Many different commercial pesticide products have been made using protein from genetically modified organisms. Proteins from such organisms have also been genetically inserted into certain food crops to kill or repel unwanted pests. At this current time, we don't have adequate scientific knowledge to assess the risk of adverse health effects among people who consume food products containing genetically modified proteins. CDC is working with other federal agencies to conduct scientific studies to gain a better understanding of such risks. CDC is currently collaborating with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to assess human health complaints associated with possible ingestion of corn products. We cannot disclose more details about the investigation while it is still in process and the information has not been placed in an appropriate context for communication to the public.

Dori B. Reissman, MD MPH

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