By the end of this module, you should be able to:
- Describe the roles and jurisdiction of environmental health and regulatory professionals in outbreak investigations.
- Identify how different disciplines work together in the outbreak team and describe what each does.
- Describe the three categories of contributing factors in an outbreak.
Now let’s look at hypothesis evaluation from the perspective of environmental health. Environmental health hypothesis evaluation often involves an environmental assessment with the goal of identifying contributing factors that may have led to the outbreak. In this video, we will discuss the differences between a routine inspection and an environmental assessment and describe some common contributing factors.
Previously in the case scenario, you implicated sprouts as the food vehicle by performing an analytical epidemiologic study. Let’s return to our case scenario and observe how you would work together with your environmental health specialist to further evaluate your hypothesis.
Resources
- The role of Environmental Assessments in Outbreak Investigations – Washington CoE (Go to Recorded Webinar)
- Environmental Assessment Training Series (EATS) – CDC (Go to Online Course)
- Environmental Assessment Just-in-Time Training – Colorado CoE (Go to Online Course)
- Environmental Assessment QuickTrain – Colorado CoE (Go to Online Course)
- Environmental Assessment Training Portal – NEHA (Go to Online Portal)
- Environmental Health Investigations – Tennessee CoE (Go to Online Course)
- Questionnaire for retail food establishment food handlers and managers in English/Spanish – CDPHE (Go to English Template) or (Go to Spanish Template)
- Environmental Health Quick Train Videos – New York CoE (Go to Video Collection)
- Distributor and Supplier Information Tool – CIFOR (Go to Guidance Document)