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Food Safety Works Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network

SAFEFOOD NEWS - Spring 1998 - Vol 2 / No. 3

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PulseNet

On May 22, 1998, the United Stated Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) announced the completion of PulseNet. PulseNet is a national computer network of public health laboratories that will help rapidly identify and stop episodes of foodborne illness. The new system is touted as being able to move up to five times faster in identifying serious and wide- spread food contamination problems.

PulseNet is based on a molecular technology called pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). It is standardized by HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify distinctive "fingerprint' patterns of E. coli 0157:H7. Public health laboratories throughout the country will now be able to use this technology and share information via the internet to determine when foodborne disease outbreaks are occurring. This will enable epidemiologists to rapidly assess whether a widespread food incident is underway, and to trace the source of the problem much faster.

"PulseNet can help public health experts recognize that foodborne illness occurring at the same time but in widely dispersed locations are from the same strain, and may be from a common exposure," said acting CDC Director Claire Broome, M.D. "By matching bacteria subtype patterns, we can detect nationwide outbreaks quickly and better direct public health actions."

How does "fingerprinting" work? Because bacteria replicate themselves by dividing in two, the next generation and many after have the same or nearly the same genetic makeup as the parent bacterium. The similarity of genetic materials over generations makes PulseNet an excellent tool to identify outbreaks from a common source, including food. PulseNet participants currently perform DNA "fingerprinting" on E. coli 0157:H7 isolates. In the near future, Salmonella serotype Typhimurium will be added to PulseNet. Over time, CDC will set up additional databases of DNA "fingerprints" for other bacteria that can cause illness through food.

Laboratories currently joined to CDC's PulseNet include Massachusetts, Minnesota, Texas, Washington, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Additional information about PulseNet can be found at the their web site http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/pulsenet/pul senet.htm.

Source: DHHS Release, May 22, 1998.

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Updated Monday, August 29, 2011