Timeliness of Enteric Disease Surveillance in 6 US States
Author Information
Author(s): Hedberg Craig W., Greenblatt Jesse F., Matyas Bela T., Lemmings Jennifer, Sharp Donald J., Skibicki Richard T., Liang Arthur P.
Primary Institution: University of Minnesota School of Public Health
Hypothesis
How timely is the surveillance of enteric diseases in six US states?
Conclusion
Improving the timeliness of case follow-up and reporting can help reduce delays in investigating foodborne outbreaks.
Supporting Evidence
- The study assessed time intervals for surveillance of foodborne diseases and outbreak investigations.
- Median intervals from symptom onset to various surveillance milestones were documented.
- 74% of foodborne disease outbreaks had a confirmed etiologic agent.
- Improving reporting practices could shorten the reporting timeline by 1 or 2 days.
Takeaway
This study looked at how quickly health departments can respond to foodborne illnesses, and found that faster reporting can help prevent more people from getting sick.
Methodology
Data on case investigation timelines were collected from health department records in 6 states for various foodborne pathogens.
Limitations
The study lacked detailed information on the speed of clinical laboratory processes.
Participant Demographics
The study included data from 6 states with varying population sizes and geographic regions.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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