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Chick-News.com Poultry Industry News, Comments and more by Simon M. Shane

GAO Evaluates CDC Response to Foodborne Infections

11/30/2020

A report authored by Steve Morris, Director of Natural Resources and the Environment with the Government Accountability Office responded to a Congressional request from Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), to evaluate the response of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to multistate foodborne outbreaks.

 

Currently the CDC considers the severity of illnesses and the vulnerability of consumers in recommended whether a specific food item is a source of infection and accordingly selects an appropriate response that may include:-

  • A reactive media statement to be used to respond to inquiries from the media
  • An Investigation Notice to provide information about an outbreak not yet associated with a specific food source
  • A Food Safety Alert to provide specific advice to consumers and the food industry regarding serving or selling an implicated product

 

This approach is exemplified in the current outbreak of E.coli O157, most possibly associated with leafy greens.  The CDC has released an Investigation Notice although a source for the multistate outbreak has not been identified.

 

The GAO report makes the following recommendations

  • The Director of the CDC should develop a plan to address risks associated with wider use of culture-independent diagnostic tests that have increased the ability of FoodNet-affiliated to identify outbreaks
  • The Director of the CDC should make publicly available the decision-making process relating to compilation and issue of reports on outbreaks of multistate foodborne illness
  • The Director of the CDC should implement a program of performance assessment relating to outbreaks of foodborne illness including performance goals and measures

 
Copyright © 2024 Simon M. Shane