Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch

Enteric infections enter the body through the mouth and intestinal tract and are usually spread through contaminated food and water or by contact with vomit or feces. Every year an estimated 76 million cases of foodborne illness and 5,000 associated deaths occur in the United States. Much of this burden could be prevented with better science and prevention tools. Each year in the developing world, diarrheal illness from contaminated food and water causes 2 million deaths in young children. We are working to decrease the burden of bacterial foodborne and diarrheal illness by 50% by the year 2010.

The Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch consists of innovative public health investigative and consultative groups that identify causes, sources and solutions for bacterial foodborne and diarrheal infections to prevent the disability and death those diseases cause. Our central values are scientific integrity, rapid response to emergencies, service to states and nations, innovation through informed expertise, and close collaboration between disciplines of epidemiology and microbiology. We are 50 persons organized in teams: outbreak surveillance and response, national surveillance, FoodNet and diarrheal diseases.