Module 2 – Group Exercise: Reviewing a Foodborne, Waterborne, Enteric Illness Complaint Log

Divide into groups by table. Study the foodborne illness log below spanning a 2-week period and answer the following questions:

Complaint / Illness / Food / Water / Other exposures / Comments
No. / Date / Onset date / No. ill / Predominant symptoms/ signs / Alleged/ suspected / Where eaten within 72 h / Where ingested within 72 h / Where contacted within 2 wks / Source
101 / 8/16 / 8/15 / 1 / Diarrhea / Redguard / Community / Intern’l travel / Giardia lamblia isolated from stool specimen
102 / 8/20 / 8/18 / 1 / Diarrhea / Hamburger
Roast beef / Speedy Foods
Nitestar Club / Dixon
Jonesville / Community
Community
103 / 8/21 / 8/21 / 12 / Diarrhea / Dixon Day Care Center / Dixon / Community / Day care
104 / 8/23 / 0 / Corn / Daulton / Swollen can, Brand W code LM 308
105 / 8/24 / 8/23 / 1 / Vomiting / Ham / Joe’s Diner / Dixon / Community
106 / 8/23 / 8/23 / 1 / Nausea, vomiting / Cold cuts from deli / Jo’s Market / Dixon
107 / 8/26 / 8/24 / 1 / Diarrhea, fever, vomiting / Plainville / Well / Salmonella Chester isolated from stool
108 / 8/26 / 8/25 / 1 / Diarrhea, fever / Church supper / Dixon / Community
109 / 8/27 / 8/25 / 1 / Diarrhea, chills / Midvale / Salmonella Anatum isolated from stool

1.  Is the number of complaints what you would expect for the period covered?

2.  Are there individual complaints of concern?

3.  Are there common exposures (e.g. foods, establishments) across complaints signaling an outbreak?

110 / 8/27 / 8/26 / 1 / Vomiting, diarrhea / Oysters / Fred’s Café / Dixon / Community
111 / 8/29 / 8/28 / 1 / Vomiting / Joe’s Diner / Clear Falls / Well
112 / 8/29 / 0 / Baby cereal / Dixon / Community / Metal fragments found in Brand X, Lot JK201E
113 / 8/30 / 8/28 / 1 / Nausea, vomiting, headache / Oysters / Ralph’s Seafood / Dixon / Community / Canned by Food Processors Inc. Lot L36105F
114 / 9/1 / 8/29 / 1 / Diarrhea, fever, vomiting / Dixon Arts Festival / Dixon / Community / Salmonella Chester isolated from stool
115 / 9/2 / 8/29 / 1 / Blurred and double vision, paralysis / Dixon / Community / Hospital reported assisted breathing

Group Exercise: Reviewing a Complaint Log – p. 1