Manual for Reporting of Food-borne outbreaks in the framework of Directive 2003/99/EC from the reporting year 2009

This manual provides specific guidance for reporting of food-borne outbreaks to the Community level and it is based on the reporting format described in the Report on harmonising the reporting of food-borne outbreaks through the Community reporting system in accordance with Directive 2003/99/EC. The manual includes the description of the structure and scope of the reporting system for food-borne outbreaks, the definitions used in the system as well as the variables to be reported on. It gives detailed advice, often through examples, how to report and classify the causative agents, foodstuffs implicated, settings, places of origin of problem and the contributory factors.