10th Annual PulseNet Update Meeting
A Decade of PulseNet: Past, Present and Future
Radisson Downtown Miami, FL
April 3-6, 2006
Overview
More than 170 people attended the 10th annual PulseNet Update Meeting, held in Miami, FL, April 3-6, 2006. The attendees of the meeting celebrated the successes that the PulseNet network has enjoyed while looking forward to the technological advances that will ensure continued progress in foodborne illness surveillance.
More than 130 people attended the concurrent second National Foodborne Epidemiologists Meeting. Three combined plenary and a combined breakout session allowed the attendees of both meetings to build partnerships and learn about the full scope of foodborne illness investigations. View Proceedings from the Second National Foodborne Epidemiologists Meeting.
Dr. Bala Swaminathan highlighted the success of PulseNet with a decade-in-review presentation to kick off the meeting. Then Dr. Richard Raymond, Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA/FSIS, presented his thoughts on public health approaches to foodborne illness.
The first combined plenary was held Tuesday morning and focused on both the outcomes of multi-state outbreaks in 2005 and the future of outbreak surveillance. Dr. Robert Brackett, Chief of FDA/CFSAN, highlighted some examples of where PulseNet has revolutionized foodborne outbreak investigations and reminded the attendees that molecular subtyping is not a replacement for epidemiologic investigations. A joint breakout session followed, during which small groups of laboratorians and epidemiologists discussed issues brought up in the previous presentations, including how these issues could be addressed in their own jurisdictions.
The second combined plenary focused on pattern interpretation and use of second enzymes in PFGE, while the third addressed issues with molecular testing for foodborne pathogens and the impact it will have on public health surveillance.
PulseNet presentations that were given during the meeting addressed protocol validations, tools for tracking outbreaks in BioNumerics, communication technologies in PulseNet, data from various national surveillance programs, QA/QC initiatives at the state and national level and the latest work of PulseNet International partners. A second laboratory breakout session covered a range of topics including PulseNet funding mechanisms, Salmonella serotyping methods, PFGE and MLVA protocols, PulseNet basics for new users, BioNumerics tools and PulseNet in other federal agencies.
Slide Presentations
The following presentations have been authorized to be posted on this website. Not all the presentations are listed. Please cite presentation authors and the "APHL 10th PulseNet Update Meeting" when using these materials.
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Monday, April 3
Welcome Session
PulseNet: A Decade in Review
Bala Swaminathan
Opportunities to Advance Food Safety
Richard Raymond
PulseNet Quiz Show
Tuesday, April 4
Combined Plenary I
The Impact of PulseNet on Food Safety - 13 Years Later
Robert Brackett
Another 10th Year Anniversary - A NARMS Update
Tom Chiller
Outcomes of PulseNet Cluster Investigations in 2005
Mike Lynch
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium Infections Associated with Unpasteurized OJ
Seema Jain
Hyperendemic Occurrence of E. coli or a Single Source Outbreak: The PulseNet Perspective
Peter Gerner-Smidt
Multistate Cluster of E. coli O157:H7
Melissa Tobin-D'Angelo
Vision of the Future of Foodborne Surveillance
Robert Tauxe
Breakout Session 1 - Lab and Epi Partners
Compiled Answers to Breakout Session I
Laboratory Session
PulseNet PFGE Protocol Development: A Historical Perspective
Mary Ann Fair
New and Used PFGE Protocols
Kara Cooper
Expanding the Net: From Foodborne to Vectorborne, an Update on BT Protocols for PulseNet
Kristy Kubota and Aimee Janusz
VNTR Mutation Rates in E. coli 0157:H7 Application to MLVA Typing
Amy Vogler
Combined Plenary II - Pattern Interpertation and Use of Second Enzyme
PulseNet Guidelines for Second Enzyme Subtyping
Peter Gerner-Smidt
PulseNet Gestalt
John Besser
Multi-Strain Outbreak Experiences
Dave Boxrud
PFGE Pattern/Strain Instability: Friend or Foe?
Efrain Ribot
Wednesday, April 5
Combined Plenary III
Outbreak Detection in an Era of Molecular Diagnostics
Peter Gerner-Smidt
Importance of Culture Confirmation in Shiga toxin-Producing E. coli Infection
Linda Demma
Salmonella Serotyping
Patricia Fields
Next Generation Subtyping for PulseNet: MLVA Update
Eija Trees
Tools for Tracking Outbreaks in BioNumerics
Tools for Tracking Outbreaks in BioNumerics: Managing Local Databases
Dianna Schoonmaker-Bopp
Using the WebBoard in Massachusetts: Tracking Clusters
Matt Gianferante
Querying Local and National Databases to Detect Clusters
Carol Sandt
Using Pattern Frequencies to Assess Cluster "Significance"
Laura Komstein
Software and Communication Session
Data Analysis and Communications: Past
Susan Hunter
Data Analysis and Communications: Present
Amy Camba
Data Analysis and Communications: Future
Desmond Jennings
Useful Tools in BioNumerics
Molly Joyner
Communications with PulseNet Central ... and others
Kelley Hise
Reminders for Data Submission
Jana Lockett and Nehal Patel
Break Out Session 2 - Laboratory Topics
View the Summaries
Poster Session
Poster Session Abstract Listing
Thursday, April 6
BioNumerics Session
Dendograms and PFGE Analysis
Paul Vauterin
QA/QC Session
PulseNet QA/QC: Past, Present and Future
Jennifer Kincaid
Virginia's In-House PulseNet Quality Assurance Program
Denise Toney
PulseNet International Activities
The Use of Molecular Subtyping Techniques for Understanding and Surveillance of Bacterial Diseases in Taiwan
Chien-Shun Chiou
Surveillance and Subtyping of Salmonella spp. in Malaysia
Kwai-Lin Thong
PulseNet Latin America: Salmonella spp. Surveillance First Collaborative Studies
Nelida Munoz Perez
PulseStar Awards
You might be a PulseNut...
Surveillance Activities
Retail Food Study: The Lab Perspective
Dianna Schoonmaker Bopp
Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Salmonella and Campylobacter from NARMS Retail Meats
Shaohua Zhao
Incidence and PFGE Analysis of Salmonella and L. monocytogenes in Various FDA Regulated Food Products
Shauna Madson
Attribution of Human Illness Due to S. Kentucky from Certain Foods
Susan Van Duyne
The Foodborne Data Linking Project
Kathryn Teates
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