Botulism in Argentina
STUDENT’S VERSION
Original investigators: Rodrigo G. Villar, MD,1 Roger L. Shapiro, MD,1 Silvina Busto, MD,
MPH,2 Clara Rive-Posse, MD, MPH,3 Guadalupe Verdejo MD, MPH,4 Maria Isabel Farace,
DVM,5 Francisco Rosetti, MS,5 Jorge A. San Juan, MD,6 Carlos Maria Julia, MD,MPH,3 John
Becher, RPh,1 Susan E. Maslanka, PhD,1 David Swerdlow, MD1
1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2Ministero de Salud-Region V, 3Ministero de
Salud y Accion Social, 4Pan American Health Organization, 5Departamento de Bacteriologia,
Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas, 6Hospital F. J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Case study and instructor’s guide created by: Jeanette K. Stehr-Green, MD
NOTE: This case study is bas ed on a rea l-life outbrea k investigatio n underta ken in
Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1998. Some aspects of the original outbreak and investigation have been altered, however, to assist in meeting the desired teaching objectives and allow com pletion of the case study in less tha n 3 hours.
Students should be aware that this case study describes and promotes one particular approac h to foodb orne disea se outbrea k investigatio n. Procedu res and po licies in outbreak investigations, however, can vary from country to country, state to state, and outbreak to outbreak.
It is anticipate d that the ep idemiolo gist investiga ting a foodb orne disea se outbrea k will work within the fra mework of a n “investig ation team ” which inclu des perso ns with expertise in epidemiology, microbiology, sanitation, food science, and environmental health. It is through the collaborative efforts of this team, with each member playing a critical role, that outbreak investiga tions are successfully com pleted.
Please send us your comments on this case study by visiting our website at http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/phtn/case s t u d i e s .