What to know
Read about important foodborne outbreaks that PulseNet has helped identify.
PulseNet in Action
Kidney Failure-Causing E. coli in Backyard Water Sources
© ronstik - stock.adobe.com
In the summer of 2023, a concerning cluster of severe Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 infections emerged in a Utah community, primarily sickening young children. The people who became ill had extremely severe symptoms, leading to seven hospitalizations and causing two children to develop life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a condition that can lead to kidney failure. Public health officials knew they needed to act fast to find the source, and Utah's public health laboratory, a key partner in the PulseNet national network, sprang into action.
Public health professionals used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to determine the genetic "fingerprint" of the E. coli bacteria from the sick children. Simultaneously, samples from the city's untreated, pressurized irrigation water system were tested. Using PulseNet's analysis technology, the results were definitive: the E. coli strain from the patients genetically matched to the strain found in the irrigation water. This provided undeniable evidence that linked the children's illnesses to the contaminated water.
This rapid and precise identification directly protected children and families, improving awareness of the risk of the untreated water and helping to prevent outbreaks like this from occurring in the future.
Salmonella in Pig Ear Dog Treats
© Estelle R - stock.adobe.com
Between February and April of 2019, Michigan recognized an unusual pattern emerging in their routine monitoring of food poisoning outbreaks through PulseNet. Identifying the pathogen as Salmonella, they reached out to CDC, FDA, and surrounding state public health laboratories to see if this specific Salmonella bacteria had made people sick elsewhere. CDC's PulseNet network compared samples from across the United States and found that many other states were seeing related Salmonella bacteria. A national investigation was initiated, and all states with the related Salmonella dove into action under the coordination of CDC and FDA.
Patient questionnaires revealed that many had prior contact with dogs, with some reporting buying pig ear dog treats for their furry friends. Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development worked together collecting and testing pig ears for Salmonella. Investigators and laboratory scientists together made an alarming discovery that the pig ear dog treats were contaminated with 15 different strains of Salmonella that were making people sick! Investigators responded by expanding the outbreak to include all 15 strains.
Without the vigilance of the Michigan public health team, quick action by federal partners, and PulseNet's national surveillance infrastructure, an outbreak of Salmonella may have continued for years or never been detected at all; additionally, this investigation led to heightened scrutiny for pet treat contamination testing to prevent outbreaks like this from occurring in the future. This is just one of hundreds of Salmonella outbreaks stopped each year due to diligent PulseNet monitoring and epidemiological action.
APHL Blog - More PulseNet Success Stories
