Section 690.410  Foodborne or Waterborne Illness (Reportable by telephone or facsimile as soon as possible, within 24 hours)

a)         Investigation of Outbreaks.

1)         All suspected or confirmed cases of foodborne or waterborne illness shall be investigated by the local health authority where the food was prepared or the contact with water occurred.  If multiple jurisdictions are involved, the jurisdiction where the food was prepared or the contact with water occurred shall be in charge of the investigation unless determined otherwise.  If the investigation determines that a foodborne or waterborne illness has occurred, the jurisdiction in charge of the investigation shall submit a final report to the Department, using the most current outbreak reporting form available from the Department, within 4 weeks following the completion of the epidemiologic investigation.

2)         For specific information on how to conduct a foodborne or waterborne outbreak investigation, see the current edition of the Department's Investigating Suspected Outbreaks of Foodborne and Waterborne Illness manual.

3)         When outbreaks of foodborne or waterborne disease occur in retail food establishments and the etiologic agent responsible for the outbreak is not addressed in this Part, food handlers in the establishment where the outbreak occurred may be considered to be contacts to cases and may be required by the local health authority to submit specimens for testing.

4)         When outbreaks of foodborne or waterborne disease occur in any business, organization, institution or private home, the person in charge of the establishment shall cooperate with public health authorities in the investigation of cases, suspected cases, outbreaks and suspected outbreaks of foodborne or waterborne disease.  This includes, but is not limited to, release of food preparation methods, menus, customer lists, environmental specimens, food specimens, and the name and other pertinent information about food handlers or other employees diagnosed with a communicable disease as it relates to a foodborne or waterborne disease investigation.

b)         Control of Cases.

1)         Standard Precautions shall be followed.  Contact Precautions shall be followed for diapered or incontinent persons or during institutional outbreaks until absence of diarrhea for 24 hours.

2)         Persons who become ill due to a foodborne or waterborne outbreak shall comply with restrictions specific to each etiologic agent addressed in this Part.

3)         If the etiologic agent responsible for a foodborne or waterborne outbreak is not addressed in this Part and diarrhea or vomiting of infectious or unknown cause is present, foodhandlers and persons in sensitive occupations, including health care workers, who are ill shall not work until 24 hours after diarrhea or vomiting has resolved. 

4)         Persons with draining skin lesions shall not work as food handlers unless the drainage is contained by a dressing and lesions are not on the hands or forearms.

c)         Control of Contacts.  Contacts to persons who become ill due to a foodborne or waterborne outbreak shall comply with restrictions specific to each etiologic agent.

d)         Sale of Food, Milk, etc. (See Section 690.1000(b).)

e)         Laboratory Reporting.

1)         Laboratories shall report to the local health authority clinical, environmental or food specimens that have a positive result on a laboratory test indicative of and specific for detecting any foodborne or waterborne illness.

2)         Laboratories shall submit to the Department's laboratory any positive food, environmental or animal samples resulting from an outbreak investigation.

(Source:  Amended at 32 Ill. Reg. 3777, effective March 3, 2008)