Investigation of a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Hvittingfoss using a web-based case reporting form

Web-based case reporting systems which house questionnaires on a secure web site allow investigators from multiple sites to enter interview data directly into the outbreak database. NetEpi Case Manager is an open source software tool designed to assist with epidemiological investigations, analyses, and other aspects of public health practice. Between April and June 2005, Victoria reported an increase in the number of cases of Salmonella enterica ser Hvittingfoss (S. Hvittingfoss), with cases also detected in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia and southern Queensland. S. Hvittingfoss is a serovar often isolated from human, animal and environmental sources in northern Queensland, but is rarely identified in other parts of Australia. OzFoodNet used NetEpi to investigate this outbreak on behalf of the Communicable Diseases Network Australia. (non-author abstract)