Researchers present the first update on the epidemiology of U.S. foodborne correctional institution outbreaks in 20 years in a new study in the American Journal of Public Health. They analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System to describe correctional institution outbreaks from 1998-2014 and compare them with other foodborne outbreaks.
Results found 200 foodborne outbreaks in correctional institutions were reported, resulting in 20,625 illnesses, 204 hospitalizations and five deaths. Median number of outbreak-associated illnesses per 100,000 population per year was 45 compared with seven for other outbreaks. These outbreaks accounted for 6 percent of outbreak-associated foodborne illnesses. Thirty-seven states reported at least one outbreak in a correctional institution. Clostridium perfringens was the most frequently reported single etiology. The most frequently reported contributing factor was food remaining at room temperature.
“Incarcerated persons suffer a disproportionate number of outbreak-associated foodborne illnesses,” concluded the authors,” the authors wrote. “Better food safety oversight and regulation in correctional food services could decrease outbreaks.”
Source: American Public Health Association,
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.