When a multi state foodborne outbreak is detected,
CDC works quickly to collect as much information as possible
to find the source, so we can take action
to prevent more people from getting sick.
To do this, public health
and regulatory officials gather three types
of data during an investigation: epidemiologic, traceback,
and food and environmental testing to link illnesses
to contaminated foods.
Epidemiologic data takes several forms.
Patterns in where and when people got sick,
and past outbreaks caused by the same germ;
Interviews with sick people to look for foods
or other exposures happening more often than expected,
and discovery of clusters of unrelated sick people who ate
at the same restaurant, shopped at the same grocery store,
or attended the same event.
The second type of data is collected
through an investigation called traceback .
Officials look for a common point of contamination
in the distribution chain from farm to fork.
We review records collected from restaurants or stores
where sick people ate or shopped, and conduct inspections
in restaurants, in food production facilities,
and on farms, looking for food safety risks.
Then there is food and environmental testing data.
Scientists look for the germ that caused illness
in a food item collected from a sick person's home
or a retail location, or in the food production environment.
We analyze lab samples to determine if the DNA fingerprint
of the germs found in sick people can be linked
to the germs found in food or production environments.
Health officials evaluate all these types of data to try
to identify the source of the outbreak.
We take action when there is clear
and convincing information, linking illness
to a contaminated food.
Health officials warn the public.
Companies recall contaminated products.
And restaurants or food production facilities might
close temporarily CDC is dedicated
to constantly improving the ways we investigate
and solve foodborne outbreaks.
For more information on CDC's efforts
to prevent foodborne illness and keep Americans healthy and safe,
go to c d c dot gov slash food safety slash outbreaks
or c d c dot gov slash pulse net.