- Pulsenet
PulseNet is a network run by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which brings togetherpublic health and food regulatory agency laboratories around theUnited States . [http://www.cdc.gov/pulsenet/ CDC PulseNet USA Website] Through the network, cooperating groups can sharepulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) results which act as fingerprints to distinguish strains of organisms such as "E. coli " type O157:H7,salmonella ,shigella ,listeria ,campylobacter ,vibrio cholerae ,vibrio parahaemolyticus andyersinia pestis . In this way, efforts to combatinfectious disease outbreak s are strengthened. Specifically, by sharing results, it is easier to identify large scale outbreaks. For example, if an outbreak of "E. coli" occurred in two distant parts of the country, PulseNet might help prove a link between the two. In such a case, thepathogen would have the same genetic fingerprint at both locations.Due to the success of
Pulsenet USA since its inception in 1996, similar networks have been established internationally in Canada (2000), the Asia Pacific (2002), Europe (2003) [http://www.pulsenet-europe.org/ PulseNet Europe Website] , Latin America (2003) [http://www.panalimentos.org/pulsenet/ PulseNet Latin America Website] , and the Middle East (2006). These networks collaborate under the umbrella of PulseNet International [http://www.pulsenetinternational.org PulseNet International Website] .The objectives of PulseNet International are to perform molecular surveillance of
foodborne diseases at the global level in order to facilitate internationaloutbreak detection and investigation by partnering with public health laboratories throughout the world and by building capacity for molecularsurveillance of foodbornepathogens .Additionally, the participants collaborate on the development, validation and implementation of internationally standardized subtyping methods to be used in the networks and perform collaborative studies on the geographic distribution and spread of different clones of foodborne
pathogens .ee also
*
Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE)
*Infectious disease
*Outbreak
*Foodborne illness References
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