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Tracking an Outbreak
Pulse-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE)
16, August 2007
Pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is the DNA “fingerprinting” method that scientists use to determine the source of bacterial foodborne outbreaks.
How Does PFGE Work?
The DNA of the bacterial pathogen responsible for a foodborne illness is digested into pieces by…
What is an E. coli Outbreak?
15, August 2007
An E. coli outbreak is an incident in which 2 or more cases of E. coli result from the same source. To determine if 2 or more people contracted E. coli from the same source, health officials conduct DNA fingerprinting…
What is FoodNet
13, August 2007
FoodNet is a joint effort by the CDC, FDA, USDA, and state health departments to monitor trends in the occurence of foodborne illness. The CDC funds cooperative agreements with some state and local health departments to conduct population-based surveillance and…
E. coli Outbreaks and the CDC
16, July 2007
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works with state and local health departments to conduct ongoing surveillance of cases of foodborne illness and to investigate disease outbreaks. The CDC uses both surveillance data and results of outbreak investigations…
How Epidemiologists Uncovered the Spinach-E. coli Outbreak of 2006
5, May 2007
In September of 2006 epidemiologists in Wisconsin identified several cases of E. coli O157:H7 that they suspected were associated with the consumption of fresh spinach. During this time, epidemiologists in Oregon noticed the same thing. The spinach-E. coli outbreak had…
Tracking an E. coli Outbreak: The Role of PulseNET
5, May 2007
Each year hundreds of people are sickened by E. coli and about 60 die. Until fairly recently, it was difficult tracking an E. coli outbreak. The Centers for Disease control (CDC) now has a system of genetic fingerprinting for E.…
