US: public meeting on improved foodborne outbreak coordination

This meeting is being co-sponsored with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The public meeting will be held on Thursday, 15 May, from 08.00-17.00 at the Renaissance St. Louis Grand and Suites Hotel, 800 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, Mo., 63101.

The USDA states that the US food supply is becoming increasingly complex and foodborne illness investigations more often involve multiple agencies and jurisdictions. Additionally, significant advances in epidemiologic and laboratory surveillance have allowed for a more rapid identification of foodborne outbreaks that lead to coordinated investigations. Efficient information sharing and coordination among all stakeholders is critical to the success of foodborne illness investigations.

The Department invites local, state and federal public health partners as well as consumer groups and industry to share their perspectives on best practices and challenges to effective coordination during multi-jurisdictional outbreaks.

Individuals are encouraged to pre-register to attend the meeting, by visiting www.fsis.usda.gov.

For further information, contact Bonnie Kissler, Office of Public Health Science, FSIS, at +1 (404) 562-5940, or e-mail Bonnie.Kissler@fsis.usda.gov.