NEARS Publications
Read our study findings to understand how and why outbreaks occur so they can be prevented.
Explore summaries of our scientific articles.
Brown LG, Hoover ER, Selman CA, Coleman EW, Rogers HS. Outbreak characteristics associated with identification of contributing factors to foodborne illness outbreaks. Epidemiol Infect. 2017;145(11):2254-62.
Freeland AL, Masters M, Nicholas D, Kramer A, Brown LG. Facilitators and barriers to conducting environmental assessments for food establishment outbreaks, National Environmental Assessment Reporting System, 2014-2016. J Environ Health;2019;81(8):24-8.
Holst MM, Kramer A, Hoover ER, Dewey-Mattia D, Mack J, Hawkins T, et al. Characteristics associated with successful foodborne outbreak investigations involving United States retail food establishments (2014-2016). Epidemiol Infect Epub 20 Mar 2023. (Brown LG)
Hoover ER, Hedeen N, Freeland A, Kambhampati A, Dewey-Mattia D, Scott K-W, et al. Restaurant policies and practices related to norovirus outbreak size and duration. J Food Prot. 2020;83(9):1607-18 (Brown LG)
Lipcsei LE, Brown LG, Coleman EW, Kramer A, Masters M, Wittry BC, et al. Foodborne illness outbreaks at retail establishments—National Environmental Assessment Reporting System, 16 state and local health departments, 2014-2016.MMWR Surveill Summ. 2019;68(SS1):1-20. [Reed K, Radke VJ]
Moritz ED, Ebrahim-Zadeh SD, Wittry B, Holst MM, Daise B, Zern Z, et al. Foodborne illness outbreaks at retail food establishments — National Environmental Assessment Reporting System, 25 state and local health departments, 2017–2019. MMWR Surveill Summ 2023;72(No. SS-6):1–11. (Kramer A, Brown LG)
Wittry BC, Holst MM, Anderberg J, Hedeen N. Operational antecedents associated with Clostridium perfringens outbreaks in retail food establishments, United States, 2015–2018. Foodborne Pathogens Dis. 2022; 219(3):209-16. Online ahead of print 2022 Mar 7. https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2021.0068
- CDC Takes Action to Improve the Reporting of Environmental Assessment Data During Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigations [PDF – 370 KB]
- Contributing Factor Infographic
- Equipping Environmental Health Workers With Environmental Assessment Tools [PDF – 431 KB]
- NEARS Fact Sheet [PDF – 322 KB]
- NEARS Summary Report – 2015 Data [PDF – 369 KB]
- NEARS Summary Report – 2014 Data [PDF – 445 KB]
- Public Health Measures: Environmental Assessment in Outbreak Investigations [PDF – 732 KB]
- Using the National Environmental Assessment Reporting System to Enhance Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigations in New York City Restaurants [PDF – 223 KB]