Public health departments in all states routinely monitor their population base for foodborne diseases. Which foodborne diseases are subject to surveillance is something that each state decides upon. Diagnosis of foodborne disease is dependent upon ill persons seeking medical care and healthcare providers and laboratories doing the appropriate culture tests in a timely manner. Once a specific disease is confirmed, states will attempt to follow up with ill persons when cases are reported to the health department. Most serious illnesses such as cases of listeriosis, E. coli O157:H7 and salmonellosis are routinely reported to the health department. County health departments then report them to the state health department which in turn reports them to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) at regular intervals. Response back at the state and local level to individual cases can lead to interviews of ill persons, investigations at restaurants or places where the suspect food was prepared, and testing of various suspect food products. The regularity and thoroughness of such follow-up investigations at the state and local levels is determined by a number of factors including the seriousness of the disease, whether it is believed to be part of a cluster or outbreak, other tasks at hand at the health department, funding for support staff to do the follow-up, and the interest level and cooperation of the ill persons.

When foodborne illness occurs due to contaminated food or beverages being consumed, it means that something somewhere has gone wrong in our food safety system. It is important for both the ill person as well as the community at large to find out what microbe is causing the problem and how it caused the illness (what food is responsible). For the sick individual, proper diagnosis of the illness is important for proper medical treatment and care. For the community at large, finding and tracking the earliest cases of foodborne disease can help get the suspect product recalled , prevent further people from getting ill, and lead to corrective actions. If you suspect you or a family member have contracted a foodborne disease, here are some actions you can take:

	Seek medical care and ask which culture tests are appropriate for your symptoms.
	Ask your healthcare provider who will report your illness to the health department and how long the lab tests will take
	If you suspect a certain product or meal is responsible for your illness, call your local health department and make a report (remember most foodborne disease is not caused by the last thing you ate). Have ready your name, address, daytime phone number, and location of the meal or where you bought the product as well as the date you bought it and date it was consumed. You will need to discuss your symptoms with them as well as name others who may be ill. If you have sought medical care, they may ask you for the doctor’s name and number.
	Try to find receipts for your meals and grocery items.
	Take a few minutes to sit down and write out a 5-7 day food and travel history and diary. A sample form is given below. This information should be filled out separately for each person who is ill and may be crucial information at a later point in figuring out what made you ill.
	If you suspect a specific place or product in causing the illness, you may call the restaurant or grocery store to report it.
	Consider seeking legal advice, however, before returning any of the product or leftovers to where they were purchased. You may also want to seek legal counsel before accepting any settlement from the business or their insurance carrier or signing any papers they send.
	If you have leftover suspect food or beverage product in your home you should seal it, label it as dangerous, and store it appropriately to preserve it for later testing, if needed. Generally, storing it sealed and keeping it refrigerated/frozen is recommended.

 

S.T.O.P. also recommends that you keep copies of all store and restaurant receipts that you are asked for by the suspect establishment, their insurer, or by public health authorities. Keep a diary of everyone you talk to about your foodborne disease and case and ask for receipts when you hand any items over for investigation. If authorities take suspect product to be lab tested, try to preserve and keep part of the sample for later testing, if possible. If it is additional unopen intact product that you are handing over, it is important to give it to the authorities in its unopened state.

You are entitled to answers when dealing with public health departments and other agencies. Always ask when they will get back to you with answers about what they have found. Ask for a business card or contact name and number. Follow up if they don’t get back to you in a timely manner.

List the 5-7 days before onset of symptoms across the top of the page, starting with the day the person became ill and then going back in time as far as you can. In the column going down the page, for each day list breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. For each meal or snack be as specific as possible listing what was eaten, where it was eaten, and brands of specific foods and specific restaurants, if known.

Don’t forget to include beverages as well. At the bottom of each column for each day indicate any travel that occurred that day or visits to daycare, hospitals, nursing homes, pools, lakes, or streams, petting zoos or fairs. Make notes on who accompanied the ill person for each meal as well such as grandparents, friends, etc.

 

	Day of onset of diarrhea	Prior Day	Prior Day	Prior Day	Prior Day
What and Where
Breakfast
Snack
Lunch
Snack
Dinner
Snack
Notes Each Day - Travel and Company