For many residents, food and safety courses should only be taken in case of an outbreak or if a family member is more susceptible to general infections. What they do not realize is that there are different types of food outbreaks based on the geographical location or size of the cases and that different types merit different actions on whether food and safety courses should be taken or not. Here are the different types of outbreaks based on geographical location.
Local Outbreak
A local outbreak is generally defined as the occurrence of the same food infection in people who live in a small community or area. The infection is normally confined in a small city or suburb in which people may or may not know each other on a personal level but live relatively close to each other physically. Most of the time, this outbreak is caused by small gatherings such as town meetings in which free food are given out or medium-sized family gatherings. The best way for residents to become aware of local outbreaks is to ask around since small communities tend to have the most number of unreported cases of food poisoning.
Regional Outbreak
Also known as a statewide or provincial outbreak, this is generally defined as the sudden influx or rise in the occurrence of a particular disease such as food poisoning in a wider area such as a province or a state. Most often than not, this problem is caused by a contaminated food supply such as grocery stores that sell food products that contain pathogens that cause food poisoning. A regional outbreak is and should be reported on local and national news.
Nationwide Outbreak
In the case of a nationwide outbreak, numerous cases of food poisoning are reported in many states or provinces. In the case of this type of outbreak, more rigorous infection control procedures are implemented and patient or area isolation can be ordered by the government in order to contain the situation.
Because of the severity of a nationwide outbreak, many think that food and safety courses should only be taken if food poisoning cases reach this level. What they do not realize is that even if a local outbreak is not present, homeowners should still invest in these types of courses. This is because food-borne illnesses can be caused by many food groups and can still infect a person with a strong immune system or clean bill of health.