CDC-led PulseNet Spots Outbreaks Early

摘要

An elderly woman in Phoenix, Ariz.; a Toledo, Ohio, toddler; an accountant in Indianapolis, Ind.-all poisoned by food. Quickly uncovering that their illnesses are connected can make all the difference in halting a deadly outbreak. About 276,000 cases of foodbome illness are avoided each year because of PulseNet, a 20-year-old network coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga., PulseNet links U.S. public health laboratories so that they speedily can share details about E. coli, salmonella, and other bacterial illnesses. The averted illnesses translate to $507,000,000 in annual savings on medical bills and lost productivity, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.