Guide to Enteric Disease Investigations in Correctional Facilities and Toolkit

Guide to Enteric Disease Investigations in Correctional Facilities and Toolkit

The Guide

 

The Guide to Enteric Disease Investigations in Correctional Facilities is a comprehensive resource that walks public health professionals through the unique factors within correctional settings that can make enteric disease case investigation and outbreak response challenging. It covers everything from understanding how correctional systems work to building relationships with facility staff, interviewing incarcerated individuals, and managing complex outbreak situations.

 

Supporting Resources

In addition to the guide we have included a toolkit that is designed to be an on-the-go job aid that summarizes the key resources from guide. Resources include:

  • Training videos that reinforce the guide’s interviewing and investigation techniques
  • Pathogen-specific tools for implementing the guide’s outbreak response protocols specifically for norovirus and hepatitis A
  • Templates and questionnaires that operationalize the guide’s data collection frameworks
  • Reference materials supporting the guide’s emphasis on appropriate language and communication strategies
  • CDC resources including model food safety practices, correctional health newsletters, and public health considerations specifically developed for correctional environments

 

 

Objective

The guide and toolkit will help you facilitate positive interactions with correctional facilities when working on enteric disease case investigations and outbreaks, identify key skills in interviewing food workers and residents of correctional facilities, and understand food safety challenges specific to correctional settings. There also has specific resources on navigating norovirus and hepatitis A outbreaks in correctional facilities.

 

Time Commitment

Estimated time to review all of the resources: 6-8 hours

 

Recommended Audience

The intended audience is public health professionals who may investigate enteric disease case investigations and outbreaks in correctional facilities.

 

Ready to put the Guide into action?

After learning the principles and strategies in the Guide to Enteric Disease Investigations in Correctional Facilities and its Toolkit, take the next step with our Outbreak Investigation Template for Correctional Facilities.
 
Adapted from a joint protocol developed by the New York Food Safety Center of Excellence, this template turns guidance into a practical, customizable plan for managing foodborne disease outbreaks. It includes detailed protocols for case identification, infection control, data collection, and coordination with health departments—helping you operationalize what you learned in the Guide.