title: Limitations to successful investigation and reporting of foodborne outbreaks: an analysis of foodborne disease outbreaks in FoodNet catchment areas, 1998-1999.
abstract: To better understand factors associated with confirming the etiologic organism and identifying the food vehicle responsible for foodborne-disease outbreaks, we examined data from outbreaks reported in 1998 and 1999 through active surveillance by Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) surveillance areas in 7 states. In 71% of these outbreaks, no confirmed etiology was identified, and in 46%, no suspected food vehicle was identified. Outbreaks involving > or =10 cases were significantly more likely to have their etiology identified than were smaller outbreaks. In two-thirds of outbreaks in which an etiology was not confirmed, no stool specimens were collected for laboratory testing; in 55% of these outbreaks, neither clinical specimens nor food samples were tested. If the etiology of and factors contributing to foodborne-disease outbreaks are to be understood, adequate resources must be available to allow specimens to be collected and tested and epidemiologic investigations to be conducted appropriately.
authors.affiliation: Communicable and Environmental Disease Services, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, TN 37247, USA. tim.f.jones@state.tn.us
authors.forename: Timothy F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Imhoff
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Samuel
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mshar
authors.forename: Katherine Gibbs
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: McCombs
authors.forename: Marguerite
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Deneen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cambridge
authors.forename: Sonja J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005506:Food Contamination; D005511:Food Handling; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D012147:Restaurants; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology