When two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink, the event is called a foodborne outbreak. Reporting illnesses to the state health department helps them identify outbreaks or potential outbreaks, prevents more people from getting sick during the outbreak, and helps to prevent similar outbreaks from happening in the future. Learn more about foodborne illness.
Foodborne Illness Team
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) interviews Kansans diagnosed with Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. to learn more about the places they've traveled, animals they've been in contact with, and foods eaten that could have made them sick. KDHE helps limit the spread of diseases by working to support the work of local health departments in their communities. and by identifying and responding to outbreaks statewide. Learn more about centralized interviewing.