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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jeanette Gibbon, MPH, Jennifer Stewart, MS, and Mare Schumacher. Office of Epidemiology and Data Services, Maricopa County Department of Public Health, 1010 E McDowell Rd Ste 300, Phoenix, AZ 85006, 602-372-2642, jeanettegibbon@mail.maricopa.gov

Introduction: When an outbreak investigation receives media attention, there is a significant impact on the course and size of the investigation. An outbreak involving a chain restaurant has the added element of involvement of corporate offices. Methods: In April 2005, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) conducted an epidemiologic investigation at a chain restaurant. An article appeared in a local newspaper stating that the restaurant was closed and an "older" patron who reported illness after eating at the restaurant died (exact cause of death unknown). This article prompted additional illness complaints to the restaurant's corporate offices and to MCDPH. When the AP wire and the local news picked up the story, the restaurant's corporate risk management (RM) department increased its involvement in the investigation and response. MCDPH assigned a point person who communicated often with the RM department. Results: The media attention led to a threefold increase in the number of interviewees during this outbreak. Epidemiologists worked closely with the facility and the corporate RM department to implement an exclusion rule for ill employees, as well as dealing with frequent requests for information from the corporate offices. Media and corporate involvement posed an issue of whether or not to complete reports in a different manner than the norm. Conclusions: The magnitude of this outbreak investigation was clearly influenced by the media attention it received. Assigning a point person proved vital, as the RM contact was very involved in the day-to-day progress of the investigation.

Learning Objectives:

• *Recognize the importance of establishing one contact person to be the liaison between the facility, epidemiology staff, and public information officer
• *Describe the impact of media attention on an outbreak investigation
• *Describe the impact of the involvement of corporate offices on an outbreak investigation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.ppt format, 213.5 kb)