Infectious Disease Outbreak and Surveillance Data and Health Implications/PHE4095

Page | 2

PHE4095 Week 4 LECTURE

Responding to an Outbreak

According to the CDC (2011), approximately 1 in 6 people in the United States fall ill eating contaminated food. The most common foodborne illnesses that one hears about are Escherichia coli (E. Coli) and Salmonella. Over the years, many efforts have been made to decrease the risk of contamination, which has drastically reduced the number of E. Coli outbreaks, especially from contaminated ground beef. However, the Salmonella infection has not declined in the last 15 years (CDC, 2011).

Salmonella is difficult to detect and reduce because it is found in many different types of food that we eat every day. Contamination can also occur anywhere, from the fields where the food grows to the surface of the cutting board in our kitchens. Public health officials have realized that a more effective process is needed to further reduce the number of foods borne illnesses that occur every year. Therefore, by 2006 the Council to Improve Food borne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) was established to develop guidelines to aid government officials in the prevention and management of food borne disease (CIFOR, 2009).

CIFOR published guidelines for a food borne disease outbreak response in 2009 after a three-year process. Since food outbreak response is a multidisciplinary effort that involves the collaboration of various public health professionals, the council was established to bring together the guidelines, processes, and products that were being used across the country and incorporate them into a single document. The council consisted of public health officials, food safety experts, and government officials who worked together to produce a more effective prevention program to reduce the incidence of food borne disease outbreak and improve the response. The guidelines for foodborne disease outbreak are designed to bring all health officials and regulators together to detect, investigate, and control outbreaks so that the least amount of people will get sick (CIFOR, 2012)

The guidelines also identify the agencies that should be involved in a food borne disease outbreak response and provide recommendations for those agencies to review and improve their existing processes (CIFOR, 2009). There is not simply one set of steps that is appropriate for all outbreaks. Having a streamlined process in place, with established partnerships, will provide a much more effective response. Public health officials need to have a plan ready to tackle a case of diagnosed E. Coli.

Overview of Common Infectious Diseases—1

As you continue through your graduate studies, the focus will move past the foundational material and will concentrate more on the critical analysis of public health programs and processes. Since infectious diseases are still common and impact the health of communities, it is always a good idea to step back and review the common infectious diseases you may encounter.

Chickenpox (Varicella)

Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease and is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The transmission occurs from direct contact, from person-to-person, or from the air. The incubation for chickenpox is typically 14 to 16 days and people are contagious one or two days before the rash and until all the blisters have dried up. The number of children who contract chickenpox is high. This is because children attend daycare or school, where it is easy to spread the disease since the symptoms may not be evident (Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital [RWJUH], 2011).

E. Coli

E. Coli is a strain of bacterium usually found in the intestines of healthy humans and animals. Meat can become contaminated with E. Coli during slaughter and processing. If a person consumes a piece of that meat and the meat is undercooked or contaminated, E. Coli may be transmitted. The person is usually unaware that there is a problem with the meat since the appearance and smell of the meat seems normal. Symptoms of E. Coli include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and fever (RWJUH, 2011).

Influenza (Flu)

Influenza is another highly contagious disease infecting the respiratory system. Influenza is divided into three types: A, B, and C. Influenzas A and B are the more common strains of respiratory illness that affect people during the winter months. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, sore throat, and nonproductive cough. Influenza C causes mild illness and does not produce the same public health impact that Influenza A and B do (RWJUH, 2011).

Overview of Common Infectious Diseases—2

Some of the other common infectious diseases you may encounter are:

Meningitis

Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges that surround the brain and can be infectious or bacterial. Viral meningitis is much more common and is rarely life threatening. Bacterial meningitis is rare but extremely life threatening. Symptoms include a stiff neck, lethargy, high fever, seizures, and severe headache (RWJUH, 2011).

Mumps

Mumps is a viral and highly contagious disease that usually occurs during childhood. The symptoms are mild, and many children may have mumps without actually being diagnosed. Symptoms include difficulty in chewing, headaches, fever, and discomfort in the salivary glands, which may become enlarged (RWJUH, 2011).

Providing an overview of common infectious diseases may seem rather basic. However, it is always a good idea to review. Many of these diseases are not nearly the threat as they were prior to the development of vaccines.