Key Objectives:
Develop an early Warning System to improve Outbreak Investigations Identify data that are available to contribute to a model that will be able to associate risk in an outbreak scenario Obtain feedback from private and local epidemiologists on useful data sources
Brief Summary:
Authors: Vivian Chen, MSW, ScD; Kis Robertson, DVM, MPH; Karen Becker, DVM, MPH, Gurinder Saini, PhD; Given the urgency to protect the public’s health, it is important for outbreak investigations to be as thorough and efficient as possible. Timely information from case-patients and sample collection for pathogen identification are required to provide the evidence needed to implicate a product associated with illness. In carrying out its regulatory mission, the US Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) perform numerous activities to verify food safety in federally-regulated meat and poultry establishments. These activities include plant inspections, food safety assessments, and in-plant pathogen testing. In addition, product recalls and enforcement actions are prompted by FSIS when an establishment has failed to comply with regulatory standards. FSIS maintains records for these activities that can be used for fact-finding during outbreak investigations. If an FSIS product is suspect or confirmed to be associated with illness, FSIS investigators must perform detailed and often complex traceback to establishments where processing occurred. Food safety assessments conducted at establishments can either confirm sanitary practices are in compliance or that enforcement actions are needed. OPHS is testing a tool to determine the extent to which an establishment’s regulatory history is predictive of risk in causing foodborne outbreaks. By looking at this historical data, FSIS will be able to evaluate selected data points to determine the association of a particular establishment when narrowing down possible suspects. Using historical data can provide clues during outbreak investigations that may improve the timeliness of control actions and by extension, reduce the number of illnesses associated with contaminated food. Such clues also may assist FSIS in identifying and directing regulatory resources to problem establishments well in advance of an outbreak. An evidence-based approach to assessing evidence potentially used in an outbreak investigation may strengthen FSIS’ position when targeting control actions towards an establishment. FSIS will be presenting a model that is being developed to provide early warning signals during an outbreak investigation. FSIS would like to have open discussion with other federal and state epidemiologists on available data sources that can be added to the model.