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Biosecurity News in Brief
Report Identifies Lessons Learned from 2008 Salmonella Saintpaul OutbreakBy Nidhi Bouri, November 24, 2008 On November 17, 2008, the Produce Safety Project (PSP) released a report assessing the human, economic, and public health costs of the 2008 Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak. According to the report, the failure of government agencies to coordinate their investigations may have resulted in heightened public risk and unnecessary harm to the tomato industry. The Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak sickened more than 1,400 people from April to August 2008. Health officials initially identified tomatoes as the main cause, however the CDC later identified jalapeno peppers as a major cause and serrano peppers as another contributor to the outbreak.1 The report cites a lack of coordination and communication among government agencies, and states that reports from 2 federal and 3 state agencies had significant variations in facts and messages. The PSP report calls upon federal health officials to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the outbreak and identifies the need for procedures and systems to ensure accurate risk communication to affected industries and the public. The PSP also emphasizes the need to address, at all levels, organizational and capacity limitations in the public health system’s response to foodborne illnesses.2 The report advocates for an agency, such as the FDA, to create mandatory safety standards for fresh produce. Although Salmonella-contaminated tomatoes were never found, health officials from both the CDC and FDA defended their handling of the outbreak when testifying before Congress and stated that tomatoes could not be ruled out as a cause.2 References
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