Skip to main content
Minnesota Department of Health logo
  • Main navigation

    • Home
    • Data, Statistics, and Legislation
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Health Care Facilities, Providers, and Insurance
    • Healthy Communities, Environment, and Workplaces
    • Individual and Family Health
    • About Us
    • News and Announcements
    • Translated Materials

Main navigation mobile

  • Data, Statistics, and Legislation
  • Diseases and Conditions
  • Health Care Facilities, Providers, and Insurance
  • Healthy Communities, Environment, and Workplaces
  • Individual and Family Health
  • About Us
  • News and Announcements
  • Translated Materials
MDH Logo

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Diseases and Conditions
  3. Foodborne Illness
  4. Investigating Foodborne Illness Outbreaks
Topic Menu

Foodborne Outbreaks

  • Outbreak Home
  • Outbreak Basics
  • Outbreak Detection
  • Outbreak Investigations
  • Outbreak Statistics
  • Gastrointestinal Illness Outbreaks at Facilities

Related Topics

  • Reporting Suspected Illness
  • Food Safety Home

Foodborne Outbreaks

  • Outbreak Home
  • Outbreak Basics
  • Outbreak Detection
  • Outbreak Investigations
  • Outbreak Statistics
  • Gastrointestinal Illness Outbreaks at Facilities

Related Topics

  • Reporting Suspected Illness
  • Food Safety Home
Contact Info
Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division
651-201-5414
IDEPC Comment Form

Contact Info

Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division
651-201-5414
IDEPC Comment Form

Foodborne Illness Outbreak Basics

What is an outbreak?

An outbreak is defined as an incident in which two or more persons experience a similar illness after a common exposure.

Outbreaks are classified in a variety of ways, including:

  • Foodborne outbreaks
  • Waterborne outbreaks
  • Non-foodborne, Non-waterborne outbreaks

How do I know if an outbreak is occurring?

An infectious disease outbreak is an increase in the occurrence of a particular infectious disease above what is normally expected. For example, a cluster of children absent from school due to gastrointestinal illness could represent an outbreak if they are found to have the same infectious disease.

Before concluding that an outbreak is occurring, it is important to get more information about the cases. The Minnesota Department of Health will typically contact the case (or the parents) and ask for information, such as the number of children who are ill, their symptoms, and a detail history of the foods eaten in the few days before illness. It is also important to collect information on what diagnostic tests have been conducted and obtain their results.

Outbreaks may be caused by person-to-person transmission, contaminated food or water, or animal contact.

For a list of more foodborne diseases see: Causes and Symptoms of Foodborne Illness.

Tags
  • foodborne
Last Updated: 10/05/2022

Get email updates


Minnesota Department of Health logo

Privacy Policy
Equal Opportunity
Translated Materials
Feedback Form
About MDH
Minnesota.gov
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linked In
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
Minnesota Department of Health Minnesota Department of health print search share facebook instagram linkedin twitter youtube