FOODBORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAK SIMULATION WORKSHOP

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FOODBORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAK SIMULATION WORKSHOP
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Media -- Our journalistic team

• News and Observer
• Charlotte Observer
• CNN
• Perez Hilton

• Late night television
• WRAL
• Twitter
• Yahoo News

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Dealing with the Media

• Respect deadlines and ask what the story is about
• Be prepared and have key points
• As Safe As Possible
• Never say No Comment
• Dont over-promise

• Show compassion and express concern for others
• Credibility
• Dont blame someone else
• What we are changing
• Lessons learned
• Speak plainly

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8 questions the Media always ask

• What happened?
• Who is in charge?
• Has this been contained?
• Are the victims being helped?
• What can we expect?
• What should we do?
• Why did this happen?
• Did you have forewarning?

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• Minutes after the Press Release
• Reports are that this outbreak is linked to
  leafy greens
• Or perhaps its not leafy greens?
• Whats wrong with leafy greens?
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008

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• August 15, 2011
• There has been a report of an outbreak of E. coli
  O157H7 in NC
• They have not identified any specific food item
• Right now there are approximately 20 people sick

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August 17, 2011 -- More information trickles out

• The fingerprint from NC and VA are an identical
  match linking the outbreaks
• VA Department of Health says thinks it is
  associated with prepackaged leafy greens mix
  bags
• Isolated strain from opened bad
• Sporadic cases in TN and SC
• National conference call

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• Yahoo News
• E. coli O157H7 cases on the rise in NC, VA
• Twitter
• whats up with E. coli O157H7?
• Seems to be a big outbreak going on E. coli
  O157H7

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• August 19, 2011
• Outbreak of E. coli O157H7 maybe associated with
  leafy greens
• Why are leafy greens still in NC stores?
• Asked a mother entering Geos market in Gastonia,
  Will you be purchasing leafy greens today?
• No I will not be purchasing leafy greens for a
  while.

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AUGUST 19, 2010 E. COLI O157H7 -- VA HEALTH
DEPARTMENT CONFIRMS ITS BAGGED SALAD FROM PACK
IT OUT PRODUCE

• Isolated strain from unopened bag
• What do you do?
• Who do you call?
• What kind of things do you do to assess your
  system?
• What do you release to the media?

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• August 20, 2011
• Story on E. coli O157H7 outbreak
• Interviewed Katie Cobb and her son both infected
  with E. coli O157H7
• Her son is in the hospital

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August 20 -- Wolf Blitzer story on outbreak

• Leafy greens, again.
• Where is the E. coli O157H7 coming from?
• Social policies?

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August 21 -- Letterman

• First tomatoes get Salmonella, now lettuce has E.
  coli... who would have ever thought bacon would
  be the healthiest part of a BLT?

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• August 22, 2011
• Is this outbreak going to be like the Fresh
  Bagged Spinach outbreak of 2006?
• 183 persons infected
• 95 hospitalized
• 29 hemolytic uremic syndrome
• 1 died

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• August 22, 2011
• Outbreak of E. coli O157H7 associated with
  bagged leafy greens salad mix from Pack It Out
  Produce
• Several farms provide leafy greens to Pack It Out
  Produce
• Tarheel Acres Growers, Plott Hound Creek Farms,
  and Rising Sun Farms

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August 22, 2011 -- Recall

• More late night
• More Wolf Blitzer

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Updated information

• Johnny Depps daughter is ill
• Was visiting NC, acquired the illness from food

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August 2012 -- One year anniversary

• USA Today
• One year after the outbreak
• New York Times
• The tale of E. coli O157H7