EPIDEMIOLOGY AND DETECTION AS OPTIONS FOR CONTROL OF VIRAL AND PARASITIC FOODBORNE DISEASE

Human enteric viruses and protozoal parasites are important causes of emerging food and waterborne disease. Epidemiologic investigation and detection of the agents in clinical, food, and water specimens, which are traditionally used to establish the cause of disease outbreaks, ar e either cumbersome, expensive, and frequently unavailable or unattemp ted for the important food and waterborne enteric viruses and protozoa . However, the recent introduction of regulatory testing mandates, alt ernative testing strategies, and increased epidemiologic surveillance for food and waterborne disease should significantly improve the abili ty to detect and control these agents. We discuss new methods of inves tigating foodborne viral and parasitic disease and the future of these methods in recognizing, identifying, and controlling disease agents.