New Report on Strengthening the US Response to Foodborne Disease Outbreaks
Homeland Security Digital Library Blog 2013-03-05
Summary:
When Good Food Goes Bad: Strengthening the US Response to Foodborne disease Outbreaks
The Center for Biosecurity of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has released a new report that highlights foodborne illness and the importance of early detection. The report suggests there is a strong need for the US government to fund programs and technologies that could enhance our ability to quickly identify the food that causes an outbreak in order to minimize health risks and economic damages.
From the report: "Foodborne illness sickens or kills an extraordinary number of people each year. It also has great economic costs. Last year, an outbreak linked to contaminated cantaloupe in the United States sickened 146 and killed 30. In 2011, another outbreak in Germany that was eventually linked to contaminated sprouts, sickened more than 4,000 and caused at least 50 deaths. Foodborne disease outbreak response is a critical part of reducing the consequences of outbreaks that will occur in the future. If public health officials can more quickly recognize when a foodborne illness outbreak has occurred and identify the food causing the outbreak, lives can be saved and economic losses averted. The lessons learned from outbreak investigations can be used by industry and government to address the underlying causes of contamination that lead to illness, thus making food safer for everyone."
"The Center for Biosecurity of UPMC [University of Pittsburgh Medical Center] produced this report to catalyze improvements in the country’s ability to respond to large foodborne disease outbreaks. We analyzed the existing data and studies on foodborne illness outbreak response, identified emerging trends, and interviewed dozens of federal and state level officials and experts from industry, professional organizations, academia, and relevant international organizations. The report puts forth a series of recommendations to accelerate and strengthen responses to foodborne illness outbreaks in the US."