Foodborne Illness Active Disease Surveillance
On this page:
Illness Reported to MDH
Interviews and Analysis
National Surveillance
Illness Reported to the Minnesota Department of Health
- Reporting
an Infectious Disease
Healthcare providers are required to report to the Minnesota Department of Health all confirmed or suspected cases of foodborne disease, including: - Campylobacteriosis (Campylobacter)
- Cryptosporidiosis (Cryptosporidium)
- Enteric
Escherichia coli infection
(E. coli O157:H7, other enterohemorrhagic E. coli, enteropathogenic E. coli,
enteroinvasive E. coli) - Giardiasis (Giardia)
- Listeriosis (Listeria)
- Salmonellosis (Salmonella)
- Shigellosis (Shigella)
- Cholera (Vibrio cholerae)
- Yersiniosis
(Yersinia)
- Reporting Suspected Foodborne Illness
Please call the Minnesota Department of Health if you suspect you have a foodborne or waterborne illness. MDH will relay the necessary information to the appropriate local health authorities.
Why should I call the foodborne illness hotline? | What do I need to know before I call? | What are the hotline hours? | What happens after I call? | Hotline print materials
Interviews and Analysis
Epidemiologists conduct telephone interviews with all persons who have been diagnosed with one of the reportable foodborne diseases. These interviews include questions about symptoms, food consumption, and contact with water, animals, and children. The information from these reports and interviews enables epidemiologists to:
- Describe the epidemiology of new and emerging bacterial, parasitic, and viral foodborne pathogens.
- Estimate the frequency and severity of foodborne diseases that occur in Minnesota each year.
- Determine how much foodborne illness results from eating specific foods, such as meat, poultry, and eggs.
- Detect, control, and prevent foodborne disease outbreaks in Minnesota.
FoodNet National Surveillance
The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) is the principal foodborne disease component of CDC's Emerging Infections Program (EIP).
- FoodNet is a collaborative project of the CDC, 10 EIP sites, including Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- The project consists of active surveillance for foodborne diseases and related epidemiologic studies designed to help public health officials better understand the epidemiology of foodborne diseases in the United States.
Spotlight
Chicks and Ducklings: Salmonella
Those cute little chicks and ducklings can be a great attraction for children this time of year, but they can also be a source of illness.
Protect others if you are experiencing diarrhea!
Anyone with a diarrheal illness should avoid swimming in public pools or lakes, sharing baths with others, and preparing food for others.
Young children (children in diapers) that are experiencing diarrhea should not be allowed to go swimming or attend daycare.
If you have questions or comments about this page, use our IDEPC Comment Form or call 651-201-5414 (TTY: 651-201-5797) for the MDH Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division.
