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Technology Vs. E.coli Outbreaks

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the its-a-dirty-subject dept.

jcatcw writes "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found the patterns of illness in both of the recent E. coli outbreaks — packaged spinach and Taco Bell — using PulseNet, which uses a customized version of BioNumerics to conduct comparisons and analysis of samples in a SQL Server database. PulseNet holds the DNA fingerprints provided by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). It operates at a national level and can link small, localized cases in a nationwide pattern. 'We can now see the connections you would not have seen before, which has revolutionized the world of food safety,' according to John Besser, clinical laboratory manager at the Minnesota Department of Health and a member of the Association of Public Health Laboratories."

8 of 45 comments (clear)

  1. Not so revolutionary by cyberworm · · Score: 2, Funny

    If people are still getting sick.

    1. Re:Not so revolutionary by McGiraf · · Score: 2, Funny

      yeh, but now they can look at nice geo-distibution graphics while they are hospitalized.

  2. Sounds pretty slow. by Spazntwich · · Score: 3, Funny

    Seems it would take a while for the DNA to grow enough to supply fingerprints.

  3. Great! by e.colli · · Score: 2, Funny

    They will do an plugin for Google Earth?

    1. Re:Great! by XnavxeMiyyep · · Score: 2, Funny

      This is an feature I've always wanted!

      --
      I put the 't' in electrical engineering.
  4. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  5. Attack the problem at the source by buckinflazed · · Score: 5, Funny

    A guy on tv said,"Who is shitting in the spinach!". The other guy said, "No one is shitting on the spinach, it is the fertilizer that is the source of the outbreak". To which the man replied, "O.K., Who's shitting in the fertilizer!". I laughed my ass off

  6. typo by j00r0m4nc3r · · Score: 2, Funny

    revolutionized the world of food safety

    I think what he meant to say was, "the EXCITING world of food safety"