2nd Annual National Foodborne Epidemiologists Meeting
Radisson Downtown Miami
April 3-6, 2006
Over 120 people attended the 2nd Annual National Foodborne Epidemiologists Meeting in Miami, FL, April 3-6, 2006. The theme for the meeting was "Enhancing Foodborne Diseases Surveillance and Outbreak Response.” Participants came from 42 states and DC, as well as Canada and Brazil. Over 170 people attended the concurrent 10th Annual PulseNet Update Meeting. Three combined plenary sessions and a combined break out session allowed the attendees of both meetings to build partnerships and gain knowledge of the full scope of foodborne illness investigations. View proceedings from the PulseNet Update Meeting.
The meetings opened with a welcome session that included two main speakers. First, Dr. Swaminathan celebrated the success of PulseNet with his decade in review. Then Dr. Richard Raymond, Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA/FSIS, was invited to present his thoughts on public health approaches to foodborne illness. All attendees regrouped on Tuesday morning for the first combined plenary that focused on the outcomes of multi-state outbreaks in 2005 and looked to the future towards a vision for outbreak surveillance. The second invited speaker, 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. The morning plenary was followed by a joint break-out session during which small groups of laboratorians and epidemiologists discussed issues brought up by the previous presenters, including how the presented outbreaks might have been 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 this will have on public health surveillance.
National Foodborne Epidemiologists Meeting presentations addressed issues related to food recalls, environmental investigations, as well as foodborne disease outbreak investigations and surveillance. Select foodborne disease outbreak etiologies were reviewed, including norovirus, pre-formed toxins and vibriosis. A poster reception included 15 abstracts submitted by foodborne epidemiologists from across the United States.
Slide Presentations
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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
NFEM Session- Effectiveness of Recalls and Other Interventions
FSIS Recall Issues
Lisa Volk
Recalls- A Retailer’s Perspective
Michael Roberson
Combined Plenary II – Pattern Interpretation 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 the 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
Environmental Investigations and Issues
Epidemiology and Environmental Health: Keeping the Lines of Communication Open
Janet Lane
EHS-Net Current Activities
Carol Selman
Contributing Factors and eLEXNET
Jack Guzewich
Food workers as a Source of Contamination
Carlota Medus
Outbreak Investigations
Using Professional Survey Groups to Call Controls
Elizabeth Gagnon
Identifying Controls Using Free Internet-Based Reverse Phone Directories
Thomas Duszynski
Case-Control Study Discussion
Mary Patrick and John Painter
Poster Session
Poster Session Abstract Listing
Thursday, April 6
Update on Outbreak Etiologies
Short Incubation Period Outbreaks
Helen Rogers
Vibriosis and Surveillance
Patricia Yu
Outbreak Surveillance
eFORS
Christopher Braden
Summary of Outbreak Data from eFORS
Tracy Ayers
Communications, Networks and CIFOR
Update from the FoodNet Outbreak Working Group
Kathleen Fullerton
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