At a glance
- PulseNet was established in 1996 to assist in outbreak detection of foodborne diseases using cutting edge technology.
- Over the years, PulseNet has expanded into a nationwide system supporting the detection of tens of thousands of foodborne outbreaks, reducing the time to initiate recalls, and making the nation's food supply safer.
- PulseNet continues to advance, expanding its tracking abilities to additional pathogens and growing with technology to include network-wide standard use of whole genome sequencing and advanced data analytics.
- See a timeline below of notable moments throughout PulseNet's history.
30 Years of PulseNet
2026-2020
- 2026 – PulseNet recognizes 30 years of foodborne illness surveillance and outbreak detection. The PulseNet network includes over 60 public health laboratories in the U.S., and coordinates with over 130 countries around the world.
- 2025 – PulseNet extends its reach to include Vibrio, Yersinia, Clostridium botulinum, and Cronobacter in its database. PulseNet now has capacity to perform surveillance on 9 life-threatening pathogens.
- 2024 – PulseNet surveillance activities transition to a cloud-based platform to improve communication and shorten time from foodborne illness occurrence to outbreak investigation and product recall.
- 2020 – The COVID-19 pandemic occurs, drastically impacting all aspects of public health. PulseNet’s well-established network, WGS infrastructure, and trained laboratory scientists are essential in bolstering the COVID-19 emergency response and testing activities across the U.S..
2019-2017
- 2019 – With WGS, PulseNet can retrospectively investigate past outbreaks, opening the door for enhanced surveillance. WGS identifies a historical outbreak of Campylobacter linked to puppies, and multiple STEC O157 outbreaks and cases are linked to the same persistent strain.
- 2019 – All 50 state public health labs successfully transition from PFGE to WGS for surveillance and outbreak detection. WGS becomes the gold standard for subtyping pathogens that cause foodborne illness, ushering in a new age of foodborne illness surveillance in the U.S..
- 2017 – WGS methods are applied to Vibrio and Shigella with expansions to Yersinia, Cronobacter, and Clostridium botulinum in 2018.
2016-2014
- 2016 – Whole genome sequencing is used for routine surveillance of Listeria, Campylobacter, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).
- 2016 – PulseNet can analyze Salmonella whole genome sequencing data to investigate outbreaks.
- 2016 – The American Journal of Preventive Medicine publishes an economic evaluation that suggest that PulseNet prevents at least 270,000 illnesses from Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria and saves $500,000 U.S. dollars every year.
- 2015 – The Listeria study receives the CDC Director’s Award for Innovation
- 2015 – CDC routinely uses whole genome sequencing for investigating foodborne illnesses caused by Listeria, Campylobacter, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, and Salmonella.
- 2014 – CDC launches the “Transforming Public Health Microbiology – PulseNet and Beyond” project under the Advanced Molecular Detection (AMD) initiative, which aims to consolidate most foodborne pathogen identification and characterization activities into a single, fast, and efficient whole genome sequencing process.
- 2014 – The Listeria whole genome sequencing study, that began in 2013, receives the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Innovates Secretary’s Pick award for implementing an innovative strategy to address an emerging public health challenge.
2013-2011
- 2013 – PulseNet scientists begin using whole genome sequencing methods, along with enhanced disease investigation, to study foodborne illnesses caused by Listeria.
- 2011 – PulseNet begins analyzing data using bioinformatics, which combines biology, computers, and information technology in a single discipline to answer pressing public health questions.
- 2011 – 250 historic isolates of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) are sequenced to prove the utility of whole genome sequencing for surveillance of foodborne pathogens.
- 2011 – Congress passes the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and directs CDC to expand national foodborne disease surveillance systems.
2010-2006
- 2010 – Whole genome sequencing is used for the first time in an ongoing outbreak investigation. PulseNet performs real-time sequencing on three samples from a Vibrio cholerae outbreak that killed thousands in Haiti.
- 2009 – PulseNet links peanut butter and peanut products to a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium. The infection sickens over 700 people in 46 states and causes 9 deaths. More than 3,000 types of peanut-containing products are recalled.
- 2006 – PulseNet links contaminated bagged spinach to a large multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7, prompting a nationwide recall. The outbreak sickens 225 people in 27 states and causes 39 cases of kidney failure and 5 deaths.
2005-2001
- 2005 – Manufacturers introduce the first commercially available next-generation DNA sequencing system. Next-generation sequencing technologies will shape the future of PulseNet and accelerate outbreak detection.
- 2005 – PulseNet integrates multiple locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) as a genotyping tool for E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium.
- 2004 – CDC pilots the Listeria Initiative[PDF – 2 pages] in 10 states to aid in the investigation of listeriosis clusters detected by PulseNet, decreasing the time from detection to stopping the outbreak.
- 2002 – PulseNet wins the prestigious Innovations in American Government Award for the second time.
- 2001 – PulseNet becomes a nationwide system: all 50 state public health laboratories are trained and certified in PFGE.
2000-1998
- 2000 – PFGE analysis software is provided by APHL to all existing PulseNet laboratories allowing the creation of organized databases.
- 1999 – PulseNet wins the Innovations in American Government Award, recognizing excellence and creativity in the public sector.
- 1998 – PulseNet is honored by the Vice President of the United States at a White House ceremony.
1997
- PulseNet detects an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in Colorado linked to frozen ground beef from a Nebraska processing plant. Twenty-five million pounds of potentially contaminated ground beef are recalled.
- CDC establishes the Epidemiology Laboratory Capacity (ELC) building program. This program funds public health laboratories to join PulseNet.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) laboratory joins PulseNet.
- The National Food Safety Initiative is established, detailing how $43.2 million is to be used to strengthen food safety in the U.S.. PulseNet becomes one of the first CDC-established networks that this initiative supports.
1996
- CDC launches PulseNet with the APHL, federal partners, and the original area public health laboratories in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Texas, and Washington.
- The first PulseNet training for standardized PFGE and analysis of patterns is organized at CDC. The area laboratories and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA) laboratories attend.
1990s
- 1995 – The concept of PulseNet takes shape in discussions between CDC, the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), state public health laboratories and federal partners.
- 1995 – CDC provides $150,000 to PulseNet to conduct an initial project demonstrating its effectiveness.
- 1994 – CDC and several state health laboratories demonstrate the utility of PFGE for detecting and investigating outbreaks of foodborne disease.
- 1993 – E. coli O157:H7 causes a major outbreak in the Western U.S. states.
1980s
- 1984 – Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), the current gold standard for DNA fingerprinting, is developed by Schwartz and Cantor.
- 1982 – E. coli O157:H7 is first recognized as a significant human pathogen.