Food Bank Shigella Outbreak Response Protocol

Immediate Actions: Isolation and Facility Control

Once Shigella exposure is confirmed or suspected, immediately halt distribution of potentially affected products and isolate contaminated inventory in a designated quarantine area away from clean stock. Notify your facility manager and document the time, location, and estimated quantity of affected items. Contact your local health department (usually county or city health division) within 24 hours to report the suspected outbreak and request guidance on product destruction or return. In parallel, increase sanitation protocols: have staff clean and disinfect all food-contact surfaces, equipment, and high-touch areas (door handles, counters) with EPA-approved sanitizers effective against Shigella. Restrict access to affected storage areas and post clear signage to prevent accidental distribution.

Staff Communication and Health Screening

Shigella spreads primarily through fecal-oral contamination, making staff hygiene and communication critical. Immediately inform all employees who may have contacted affected products or the contaminated area, and require them to report any symptoms (diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever) to occupational health within 48 hours. Provide clear written guidance on handwashing, glove use, and illness policies—staff with diarrhea must not work in food handling areas for at least 24 hours after symptoms resolve, per CDC and state health department standards. Consider requiring negative test results before return to work in food-contact roles, depending on your local health department's recommendation. Distribute educational materials on Shigella transmission and prevention to all staff, and document these communications in your outbreak response file.

Product Tracing, Customer Notification, and Documentation

Work with your inventory management system to trace the affected product lot numbers, distribution dates, and recipient organizations or individuals. Cross-reference distribution records with client pick-up logs or delivery manifests to identify who received potentially contaminated items. Contact affected clients promptly (within 24–48 hours) with specific product details, expiration dates, and lot numbers; advise them not to consume the product and provide instructions for safe disposal or return. Document all communications—emails, call logs, recipient names—in a centralized outbreak file. Submit written incident reports to your local health department including product identification, distribution timeline, number of clients affected, and any confirmed illnesses linked to the outbreak. Retain records for at least 6 months; the FDA and FSIS may request this documentation for epidemiological investigation. Report findings to your board or agency leadership and develop a written corrective action plan addressing how the contamination occurred and steps to prevent recurrence.

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