Foodborne Diseases Centers for Outbreak Response Enhancement

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year, foodborne diseases cause illness in 1 in 6 Americans (or about 48 million people) resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

Foodborne Diseases Centers for Outbreak Response Enhancement (FoodCORE) centers work together to develop new and better methods to detect, investigate, respond to, and control multistate outbreaks of foodborne diseases. Efforts are primarily focused on outbreaks caused by bacteria, including Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, and Listeria. The ability to detect and investigate viral and parasitic foodborne disease outbreaks will also be strengthened.

A map of the United States highlighting states that participate in FoodCORE.

FoodCORE Topics

About FoodCORE

Program overview & key areas.

Current FoodCORE Centers

Center information & program highlights

Metrics

Performance metrics, measurable activities, & minimum reporting requirements.

Highlights and Successes

FoodCORE success stories & accomplishments

Partners

FoodCORE partners and collaborating programs

Resources

FoodCORE publications, presentations, & resources

Spotlights

FoodCORE: Improving foodborne disease investigation and response in state and local health departments.

FoodCORE Fact Sheet [PDF - 671KB]

Journal of Public Health Management & Practice: Improving Response to Foodborne Disease Outbreaks in the United States: Findings of the Foodborne Disease Centers for Outbreak Response Enhancement (FoodCORE), 2010-2012

Manuscript: Program Findings 2010-2012

Recent Highlights and Successes

In July 2014, the Tennessee Department of Health linked an outbreak of Salmonella to a splash pad in west Tennessee. Following this outbreak, the Department of Health and its FoodCORE Interview Team investigated splash pads to identify the hazards and to prevent similar outbreaks. The team evaluated the water quality at 29 splash pads and conducted risky behavior observation studies at 17 of the 59 splash pads across the state of Tennessee.

The entire FoodCORE team was instrumental in this investigation and research: the astute laboratorians who identified the Salmonella outbreak, the student team and epidemiologists who interviewed the cases and found the link to the splash pad, and the environmental health specialists who conducted the water quality assessments. Guidance will be available to community recreation directors to help them make splash pads safer for people to enjoy.