“Briefings from Dr. Bob Whitaker” - Why do tracebacks take so long?

Thanks to PMA and Julia Stewart for passing along the link to the June 11 briefing from Dr. Bob Whitaker. Here is an excerpt from the Q and A, with Julia Stewart and Dr. Whitaker in the first part of the opening exchange. For the full briefing, check out the PMA Web site.

Bob, the tomato industry is understandably upset about the ongoing foodborne illness outbreak that has been linked to certain types of fresh tomatoes. The Food and Drug Administration has been working for more than 10 days to identify the source of the contaminated tomatoes – but in the meantime many retailers and foodservice operators have pulled all tomatoes from their shelves and menus. Everyone in the produce industry puts public health and the health of our consumer customers, first and foremost. But now even safe production areas and products are being shunned by the market. Some production areas are at risk of losing their entire season, and tens of millions of dollars. Meanwhile, consumers are missing out on one of the true joys of summer eating, fresh tomatoes.

Can you explain why a traceback can take so long?

Dr. Bob Whitaker:

First let me say that at its very core, traceback is an investigation. It relies on data gathering and analysis. That process is performed under the simultaneous pressures of having to communicate sufficiently to protect public health and perhaps removing potentially contaminated products, while at the same time being mindful to minimize disruption to food supplies – and it has to be 100 percent accurate.

As state health agencies and/or CDC determine that an unusual illness pattern is emerging and they identify a causative microorganism, it triggers epidemiological studies to determine how people are becoming infected. Often this is called “identifying the vehicle”. One of the key questions epidemiologists ask patients is where they contacted the food product in question – be it restaurant, retail store, family picnic, school, church social, friend’s house, et cetera. They use a questionnaire to guide their questioning, but you can imagine how difficult this can be. Just think about it, can you remember what you had for dinner three weeks ago Wednesday? The epidemiologist is looking for the patient who can – and they need to be able to tell them where they purchased or ate the food. This can take several days or even weeks to find a handful of credible patients who can. When the epidemiologist can credibly link the patient with the food vehicle and a point of service location, it becomes an investigative leg for traceback.