About Outbreak Investigations in Healthcare Settings

Key points

  • CDC experts provide assistance to health departments and healthcare facilities to stop outbreaks and protect patients and healthcare workers.
  • CDC uses what it learns while investigating outbreaks to devise strategies to prevent them from happening again.

Overview

CDC routinely works with state and local health departments and other federal agencies, such as the FDA, to protect patients and stop outbreaks from spreading in healthcare facilities. Often, these outbreaks are the result of either failures in infection control practices or contaminated equipment or medications.

During some outbreak situations, CDC sends experts to work side-by-side with facility and health department staff. For example, health departments may contact CDC and request assistance through a process known as an Epi-Aid. Typically, these efforts include on-site assistance, laboratory support and additional consultation with experts at CDC headquarters. CDC can also provide focused, onsite technical support that is not an Epi-Aid.

In addition to onsite assistance, CDC routinely provides remote consultation and laboratory assistance to healthcare facilities and health departments that are working to solve outbreaks or investigate infection control breaches and other adverse events.

What CDC Does

CDC works to improve patient outcomes related to healthcare associated outbreaks by:

Request outbreak support from CDC‎

CDC offers technical assistance and support in investigating and controlling outbreaks. Request support or review CDC consultation guidance under Resources below.