Featured Exhibit: Foundation Farm Raw Milk
2012 multiple county Oregon E. coli O157:H7 outbreak
This outbreak was important because it further highlights the dangers of raw milk consumption, which is already well-documented in scholarly journals. Read More
This outbreak was important because it further highlights the dangers of raw milk consumption, which is already well-documented in scholarly journals. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Berry Stand Strawberries
2011 multiple county Oregon E. coli O157:H7 outbreak
This investigation implicated strawberries from a local Oregon farmer as the source of an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infection. Epidemiologists investigated the fields and found them to be contaminated with deer feces. Read More
This investigation implicated strawberries from a local Oregon farmer as the source of an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infection. Epidemiologists investigated the fields and found them to be contaminated with deer feces. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Milk Crates, Cartons, Jugs
2010 Roseburg, Oregon Salmonella Braenderup outbreakThis outbreak had a surprising twist: the milk itself was never contaminated! Rather, the problem stemmed from the milk crate washer machine on the roof of the Umpqua plant, where crates were contaminated. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Lian How White Pepper
2009 multi-state Salmonella Rissen outbreakSalmonella Rissen is a very rare serotype in the US. When Oregon, California, and Nevada all reported it within days of each other, it began a coordinated investigation between those states (later to be joined by WA and ID). Read More
Featured Exhibit: Bagged Spinach
2006 multi-state E. coli O157:H7 outbreak
This outbreak highlighted Inter-state health department cooperation. Using their homegrown "Shotgun" hypothesis-generating questionnaire, OR epidemiologists identified that 4 in 5 cases in OR consumed bagged spinach. Read More
This outbreak highlighted Inter-state health department cooperation. Using their homegrown "Shotgun" hypothesis-generating questionnaire, OR epidemiologists identified that 4 in 5 cases in OR consumed bagged spinach. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Cal-Farms Parsley
2005 Deschutes County, Oregon E. coli O157:H7 outbreak
This McGrath's Fish House outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections was traced back to parsley from Cal-Farms. 206 people interviewed, 64 ill people, and extremely muddy field conditions. Read more
This McGrath's Fish House outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections was traced back to parsley from Cal-Farms. 206 people interviewed, 64 ill people, and extremely muddy field conditions. Read more
Featured Exhibit: Paramount & Raw Almonds
2004 multi-state Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak
The Oregon State Public Health Laboratory identified a cluster of five patients infected with Salmonella Enteritidis from four different counties. Read More
The Oregon State Public Health Laboratory identified a cluster of five patients infected with Salmonella Enteritidis from four different counties. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Hydro-Harvest Alfalfa Sprouts
1999 multi-state Salmonella Mbandaka outbreak
This was the largest "sproutbreak" of foodborne salmonellosis in Oregon since the multinational outbreak of Salmonella Newport in 1996, in which alfalfa sprouts were also implicated as the vehicle of transmission. Read More
This was the largest "sproutbreak" of foodborne salmonellosis in Oregon since the multinational outbreak of Salmonella Newport in 1996, in which alfalfa sprouts were also implicated as the vehicle of transmission. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Venison Jerky
1995 Benton County, Oregon E. coli O157:H7 outbreak
At a time when ground beef was thought to be the source of all foodborne E. coli O157 infections, this was the first documentation of venison-associated E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. Read More
At a time when ground beef was thought to be the source of all foodborne E. coli O157 infections, this was the first documentation of venison-associated E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Frozen Oysters
2006 Oregon outbreak of norovirus
Over 25,000 pounds of product from the same lot was embargoed by the FDA, which was then considering further restrictions on this type of product, which had been imported from Korea. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Jack In The Box Hamburgers
1993 Oregon E. coli O157:H7 outbreak
This was the largest outbreak of E. coli O157 infections ever documented in the United States. It injected this pathogen, and threats to food safety in general, into popular consciousness. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Cold Stone Cake Batter Ice Cream
2005 Oregon outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium
The vehicle for this outbreak was ice cream made with a contaminated cake mix ingredient. Four patients reported eating cake batter flavor ice cream from two separate outlets of Cold Stone Creamery. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Sally Jackson Cheese
2010 Multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:NM
An outbreak of E. Coli O157:NM led to a recall and eventual permanent closure of a respected Pacific NW cheesemaker: Sally Jackson Cheese. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Salmonella and Backyard Poultry
2015 Multi-state outbreak of Salmonella
In January 2015, a coast to coast outbreak infected 252 people with four different strains of Salmonella infections: Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Hadar, Salmonella Indiana, and Salmonella München. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Hip-hop Measles
2007 Lane County, OR outbreak of Measles
Two cases of measles (both unvaccinated) led to a cost of approximately $170,000 across local and state health departments and the related medical system. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Raw Flour E. coli
2007 Multi-state outbreak of E. coli O121
63 people infected with E. coli were reported across 24 states, with symptoms serious enough to hospitalize seventeen. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Diaper Changing Station Norovirus
2012 Washington County, OR outbreak of norovirus
Appearances were deceiving in what seemed to be a standard foodborne point-source outbreak from a restaurant. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Hubbard Splash Fountain
2003 Marion County, OR outbreak of Shigella
Investigation of an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness that erupted among children in a small community in Oregon. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Shopping Bag Norovirus
2010 Single County, OR outbreak of norovirus
Health officials made a rare discovery with this outbreak by identifying a reusable shopping bag as the vehicle for norovirus. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Listeria Soft Cheese
2013 Multi-state outbreak of Listeria
This investigation resulted in perhaps the fastest identification of a commercially distributed food vehicle of a listeriosis outbreak Read More
Featured Exhibit: Hazelnut E. coli
2011 Multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7
This investigation showcased rapid collaboration between multiple state health departments and state departments of agriculture. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Tennessee Mountain Lodge
2010 Multi-state outbreak of C. perfringens
A 2010 outbreak of Clostridium perfringens & Staphylococcus aureus from canned beef at a hard-to-reach mountain lodge. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Polka Festival C. perfringens
2010 El Paso County outbreak of C. perfringens
A cluster of illnesses due to Clostridium perfringens intoxication occurred following a catered dinner at a Polka Festival in El Paso County, Colorado. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Colorado Cantaloupe Listeria
2010 Multi-state outbreak of Listeria
In 2011 a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infected 147 people, including 143 hospitalizations and 33 deaths. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Angus Beef Patties
2007 Multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7
This 2007 E. coli outbreak investigation resulted in the recall of nearly one million pounds of ground beef. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Chicken Liver Campylobacter
2013 Multi-state outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni
Six cases from three different states developed gastrointestinal illness after consuming under-cooked chicken livers. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Holiday Lunch Buffet
2014 Florida outbreak of Staphylococcus aureus & Bacillus cereus
141 were sickened in this 2014 gastrointestinal illness outbreak caused by lunch buffet turkey contaminated by Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Peanut Corporation of America (PCA)
2008 Nationwide & Canada outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium
714 were sickened in this 2008-2009 gastrointestinal illness outbreak caused by peanut products contaminated by Salmonella Typhimurium. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Kratom and kratom-containing products
2017 Multi-State outbreak of multiple-serotype Salmonella (serotypes I 4,[5],12:b:-,
Heidelberg, Javiana, Okatie, Weltevreden, or Thompson)
Heidelberg, Javiana, Okatie, Weltevreden, or Thompson)
199 from 41 states developed gastrointestinal illness were sickened in this 2017 gastrointestinal illness outbreak after consuming contaminated kratom, a raw minimally processed botanical substance. Multiple serotypes of Salmonella were detected in samples of kratom collected from the homes of the patients and from retail locations. Several companies issued recalls of kratom products due to Salmonella contamination. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Foundation Farm Raw Milk
2012 multiple county Oregon E. coli O157:H7 outbreak
This outbreak was important because it further highlights the dangers of raw milk consumption, which is already well-documented in scholarly journals. Read More
This outbreak was important because it further highlights the dangers of raw milk consumption, which is already well-documented in scholarly journals. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Berry Stand Strawberries
2011 multiple county Oregon E. coli O157:H7 outbreak
This investigation implicated strawberries from a local Oregon farmer as the source of an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infection. Epidemiologists investigated the fields and found them to be contaminated with deer feces. Read More
This investigation implicated strawberries from a local Oregon farmer as the source of an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infection. Epidemiologists investigated the fields and found them to be contaminated with deer feces. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Milk Crates, Cartons, Jugs
2010 Roseburg, Oregon Salmonella Braenderup outbreakThis outbreak had a surprising twist: the milk itself was never contaminated! Rather, the problem stemmed from the milk crate washer machine on the roof of the Umpqua plant, where crates were contaminated. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Lian How White Pepper
2009 multi-state Salmonella Rissen outbreakSalmonella Rissen is a very rare serotype in the US. When Oregon, California, and Nevada all reported it within days of each other, it began a coordinated investigation between those states (later to be joined by WA and ID). Read More
Featured Exhibit: Bagged Spinach
2006 multi-state E. coli O157:H7 outbreak
This outbreak highlighted Inter-state health department cooperation. Using their homegrown "Shotgun" hypothesis-generating questionnaire, OR epidemiologists identified that 4 in 5 cases in OR consumed bagged spinach. Read More
This outbreak highlighted Inter-state health department cooperation. Using their homegrown "Shotgun" hypothesis-generating questionnaire, OR epidemiologists identified that 4 in 5 cases in OR consumed bagged spinach. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Cal-Farms Parsley
2005 Deschutes County, Oregon E. coli O157:H7 outbreak
This McGrath's Fish House outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections was traced back to parsley from Cal-Farms. 206 people interviewed, 64 ill people, and extremely muddy field conditions. Read more
This McGrath's Fish House outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections was traced back to parsley from Cal-Farms. 206 people interviewed, 64 ill people, and extremely muddy field conditions. Read more
Featured Exhibit: Paramount & Raw Almonds
2004 multi-state Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak
The Oregon State Public Health Laboratory identified a cluster of five patients infected with Salmonella Enteritidis from four different counties. Read More
The Oregon State Public Health Laboratory identified a cluster of five patients infected with Salmonella Enteritidis from four different counties. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Hydro-Harvest Alfalfa Sprouts
1999 multi-state Salmonella Mbandaka outbreak
This was the largest "sproutbreak" of foodborne salmonellosis in Oregon since the multinational outbreak of Salmonella Newport in 1996, in which alfalfa sprouts were also implicated as the vehicle of transmission. Read More
This was the largest "sproutbreak" of foodborne salmonellosis in Oregon since the multinational outbreak of Salmonella Newport in 1996, in which alfalfa sprouts were also implicated as the vehicle of transmission. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Venison Jerky
1995 Benton County, Oregon E. coli O157:H7 outbreak
At a time when ground beef was thought to be the source of all foodborne E. coli O157 infections, this was the first documentation of venison-associated E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. Read More
At a time when ground beef was thought to be the source of all foodborne E. coli O157 infections, this was the first documentation of venison-associated E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Frozen Oysters
2006 Oregon outbreak of norovirus
Over 25,000 pounds of product from the same lot was embargoed by the FDA, which was then considering further restrictions on this type of product, which had been imported from Korea. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Jack In The Box Hamburgers
1993 Oregon E. coli O157:H7 outbreak
This was the largest outbreak of E. coli O157 infections ever documented in the United States. It injected this pathogen, and threats to food safety in general, into popular consciousness. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Cold Stone Cake Batter Ice Cream
2005 Oregon outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium
The vehicle for this outbreak was ice cream made with a contaminated cake mix ingredient. Four patients reported eating cake batter flavor ice cream from two separate outlets of Cold Stone Creamery. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Sally Jackson Cheese
2010 Multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:NM
An outbreak of E. Coli O157:NM led to a recall and eventual permanent closure of a respected Pacific NW cheesemaker: Sally Jackson Cheese. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Salmonella and Backyard Poultry
2015 Multi-state outbreak of Salmonella
In January 2015, a coast to coast outbreak infected 252 people with four different strains of Salmonella infections: Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Hadar, Salmonella Indiana, and Salmonella München. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Hip-hop Measles
2007 Lane County, OR outbreak of Measles
Two cases of measles (both unvaccinated) led to a cost of approximately $170,000 across local and state health departments and the related medical system. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Raw Flour E. coli
2007 Multi-state outbreak of E. coli O121
63 people infected with E. coli were reported across 24 states, with symptoms serious enough to hospitalize seventeen. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Diaper Changing Station Norovirus
2012 Washington County, OR outbreak of norovirus
Appearances were deceiving in what seemed to be a standard foodborne point-source outbreak from a restaurant. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Hubbard Splash Fountain
2003 Marion County, OR outbreak of Shigella
Investigation of an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness that erupted among children in a small community in Oregon. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Shopping Bag Norovirus
2010 Single County, OR outbreak of norovirus
Health officials made a rare discovery with this outbreak by identifying a reusable shopping bag as the vehicle for norovirus. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Listeria Soft Cheese
2013 Multi-state outbreak of Listeria
This investigation resulted in perhaps the fastest identification of a commercially distributed food vehicle of a listeriosis outbreak Read More
Featured Exhibit: Hazelnut E. coli
2011 Multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7
This investigation showcased rapid collaboration between multiple state health departments and state departments of agriculture. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Tennessee Mountain Lodge
2010 Multi-state outbreak of C. perfringens
A 2010 outbreak of Clostridium perfringens & Staphylococcus aureus from canned beef at a hard-to-reach mountain lodge. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Polka Festival C. perfringens
2010 El Paso County outbreak of C. perfringens
A cluster of illnesses due to Clostridium perfringens intoxication occurred following a catered dinner at a Polka Festival in El Paso County, Colorado. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Colorado Cantaloupe Listeria
2010 Multi-state outbreak of Listeria
In 2011 a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infected 147 people, including 143 hospitalizations and 33 deaths. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Angus Beef Patties
2007 Multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7
This 2007 E. coli outbreak investigation resulted in the recall of nearly one million pounds of ground beef. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Chicken Liver Campylobacter
2013 Multi-state outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni
Six cases from three different states developed gastrointestinal illness after consuming under-cooked chicken livers. Read More
Featured Exhibit: Holiday Lunch Buffet
2014 Florida outbreak of Staphylococcus aureus & Bacillus cereus
141 were sickened in this 2014 gastrointestinal illness outbreak caused by lunch buffet turkey contaminated by Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins. Read More
Welcome to the IOM!
The International Outbreak Museum is the culmination of one man’s career-long quest to document over three decades of infectious disease outbreak investigations.
Outbreak exhibits consist of pictures, data, questionnaires, narratives, and historical context.
We welcome you to peruse the exhibits, read about the museum’s founder and original curator, and even submit an exhibit from your own outbreak investigation.
Investigation Tools
Outbreak Investigation Resources, including questionnaires, the It-Kit™, and interview training videos.
Original Videos
Watch episodes of our two original video series: “From the Annals of the IOM” and “Your Body Vs.”