Foodborne Illness

Shigella remains highly infectious in the United States and rapid detection of Shigella outbreaks is crucial for disease control and timely public health actions. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) implemented a Communicable Disease Electronic Surveillance System (CDESS) for local health departments (LHDs) to collect clinical and laboratory testing information and supplement epidemiologic information for the patients from New York State, excluding New York City, with infectious diseases. The CDESS includes reported cases that are involved in outbreaks and which constituted the base for identifying any outbreak. The selection of a fitted outbreak detection method would play a critical role in enhancing disease surveillance.

Objective

To explore the possibility of using statistical methods to detect Shigella outbreaks, assess the effectiveness of the methods to signal real outbreaks, provide manageable information for follow-up activities and avoid unnecessary surveillance work.

The Decrease Epidemiological Threats with Environmental Controls and Testing (DETECT) program consisted of a four month initiative to provide a two-day in-depth training modified from the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Epi-Ready training. In each Public Health Area, Central Office Epidemiology (EPI), Environmental, and Laboratory staff presented FBO information to county and area Public Health staff. To train and equip field staff in the management of foodborne outbreak processes, to establish a Foodborne Outbreak (FBO) Team in each Public Health Area, to establish defined processes and protocols for FBO for improved response.