Hi all,
Please download this excellent WHO publication on Foodborne disease outbreaks: Guidelines for investigation and control. You can download it from attachments or from the direct link given below

Introduction
The investigation and control of foodborne disease outbreaks are multi-disciplinary tasks
requiring skills in the areas of clinical medicine, epidemiology, laboratory medicine, food
microbiology and chemistry, food safety and food control, and risk communication and
management. Many outbreaks of foodborne disease are poorly investigated, if at all, because
these skills are unavailable or because a field investigator is expected to master them all
single-handedly without having been trained.
These guidelines have been written for public health practitioners, food and health inspectors,
district and national medical officers, laboratory personnel and others who may undertake or
participate in the investigation and control of foodborne disease outbreaks.
While the book focuses on practical aspects of outbreak investigation and control, it also
provides generic guidance that can be adapted to individual countries and local requirements.
At the field level it will be valuable in initial epidemiological, environmental and laboratory
investigations, in implementation of appropriate control measures, and in alerting
investigators to the need to seek assistance for more complex situations. At national and
regional levels, the guidelines will assist decision-makers in identifying and coordinating
resources and in creating an environment appropriate for the successful management of
foodborne disease outbreaks.
The guidelines are divided into six main sections. Section 1 is a practical guide, outlining the
steps of outbreak investigation and control. More detailed information about these steps and
related activities is provided in the subsequent sections, which deal with planning and
preparation, detection of foodborne disease outbreaks, investigations, control measures, and
clinical features of foodborne disease pathogens.
The annexes contain background technical information, sample forms for data collection and
analysis, questionnaires and other tools that may be useful during an investigation.
Despite a clear focus on foodborne diseases, much of the material in these guidelines is also
applicable to the investigation of outbreaks of other communicable and noncommunicable
diseases.

Download