DYK? Each year, roughly 1 in 6 people in the US gets sick from eating contaminated food. There is a new method for diagnosing infections and identifying foodborne illness. Culture-independent diagnostic tests are faster, and results are available much sooner than traditional culture tests. Watch our CDC Public Health Grand Rounds live webcast on Tuesday, October 18, at 1:00 pm ET. http://1.usa.gov/1rzB4JL

The Venereal Disease Division was transferred from the US Public Health Service to CDC in 1957, bringing two important innovations to CDC’s activities: a grant program and a new kind of employee: Public Health Advisor. See more in CDC’s 70th Anniversary: 7 Decades of Firsts: http://1.usa.gov/29axqXC

When it comes to tracking infectious diseases and outbreaks, determining who is infected with a particular pathogen is the first step in solving the puzzle and stopping the spread of the disease. Join us Tuesday, October 18, at 1:00 pm ET for the next CDC Public Health Grand Rounds. Follow @CDC_eHealth on Twitter and use the hashtag #CDCGrandRounds to participate in the event. http://1.usa.gov/1rzB4JL

Nationally, most kindergartners are up-to-date on their recommended vaccination. But, there are still communities with clusters of under-vaccinated or unvaccinated students. To help protect your child from 14 diseases by age 2, make sure they are vaccinated according to the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule. http://bit.ly/2dxJC8q

Congratulations to the nation’s healthcare professionals and parents on another year of protecting children from serious disease with high vaccination coverage. Vaccination coverage estimates remain over 90% for MMR, polio, hepatitis B and chickenpox vaccines among children ages 19-35 months. It is still important to ensure your child is vaccinated according to CDC’s recommended schedule, in order to protect them from 14 disease before their 2nd birthday. Ask your child’s doctor if your child is up to date on recommended vaccinations, and help provide a blanket of protection for your child and community. http://bit.ly/2dNWcOl

CDC and Pew Charitable Trusts joined w/ 12 other national health organizations to fight #antibiotic resistance by committing to partner together to improve antibiotic use in outpatient facilities. Visit http://go.usa.gov/xk3J8 to view the joint letter.

In 1986, the Office on Smoking and Health became part of CDC. See more in CDC’s 70th Anniversary: 7 Decades of Firsts: http://1.usa.gov/29axqXC

Are you up to the challenge to become a Disease Detective? Download CDC’s Solve the Outbreak app today. The app is available in both the Google play store and iTunes. http://1.usa.gov/1xcZ4fs

CDC is hosting a live presentation in observance of Global Handwashing Day to educate children about the importance of making handwashing a habit. Parents, teachers, and students can tune in on October 14 at 10:30 am ET via YouTube Live youtu.be/VgP5ragVmSU.

When it comes to tracking infectious diseases and outbreaks, determining who is infected with a particular pathogen is the first step in solving the puzzle and stopping the spread of the disease. Traditionally, culture testing has been the primary means of identifying the specific pathogen. With this method, cultures must be evaluated in a lab setting, and results can take two or three days. Culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs) are a new method for diagnosing infections, and they are often used to identify foodborne illness. CIDTs work by detecting the presence of a specific genetic sequence or antigen of a germ.

These newer tests are faster, and results are available much sooner than with traditional culture tests. However, CIDTs don’t identify the exact organism that caused the illness, and they don’t provide some of the more detailed information that culture tests can. For example, CIDTs don’t tell us what specific strain of an illness someone has, or how it may respond to antibiotics. Using only CIDTs makes it more difficult to connect individual infections to the same strain and to identify outbreaks.

In this session of Public Health Grand Rounds, you will hear how CIDTs are changing the landscape of diagnosing infectious disease. Speakers will also discuss how the tests are evolving, and how some states are adapting to using CIDTs in their public health systems.

Presented By:
Chris Braden, MD
Deputy Director
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC

Alicia Cronquist, RN, MPH
Foodborne Disease Program Manager, Communicable Disease Branch
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Brad Spring, BS
Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & Compliance
BD Life Sciences (representing AdvaMedDx)

Craig A. Mason, PhD
Professor, Education and Applied Quantitative Methods
University of Maine

Watch the live webcast on Tuesday, October 18, at 1:00pm ET. Follow @CDC_eHealth on Twitter for live tweeting during the event, and use the hashtag #CDCGrandRounds to participate. If you are unable to attend, post your questions in the comments below or send to grandrounds@cdc.gov.

For more information on CDC Public Health Grand Rounds, visit http://1.usa.gov/1rzB4JL

Don’t have a mobile tablet device, don’t worry! You can play CDC’s Solve the Outbreak while on your computer. Become a Disease Detective today at http://1.usa.gov/1AyBBUQ.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) was established in 1983 and collects data on emergency events involving the release of hazardous substances in the US. See more in CDC’s 70th Anniversary: 7 Decades of Firsts: http://1.usa.gov/29axqXC