The globalization of trade and travel contributes to the spread of food-borne pathogens over long distance and across borders. Contemporary epidemiology and disease control need a new approach to identify the source and route of infection, especially when it originates in a different country than where the illness is originally observed. PulseNet is an international network of laboratories operating in different parts of the world and is dedicated to the molecular surveillance and outbreak detection of food-borne infections. The network was originally initiated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention located in Atlanta, USA, as well as several state health departments, in 1996. The goal of PulseNet was to facilitate the molecular subtyping of bacterial food-borne pathogens for epidemiologic purposes. The network began as a national program involving 10 laboratories typing a single pathogen (Escherichia coli O157:H7). Today, PulseNet USA includes over 70 participants from state, city and county public health laboratories and federal regulatory agencies. Currently, six food-borne pathogens: E coli 0157:H7; Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, Shigella and Vibrio cholerae are being subtyped, and other bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms will be added soon. PulseNet International was established with the objective of creating worldwide regional networks utilizing molecular subtyping methods and sharing information in real-time to provide an early warning on food-borne disease outbreaks, emerging food-borne infections, and acts of food bioterrorism. From 1999 to 2006, 5 PulseNet international networks were progressively established worldwide (in chronological order): PulseNet Canada, PulseNet Europe, PulseNet Asia Pacific, PulseNet Latin America and PulseNet Middle East. These regional PulseNet networks collaborate under the umbrella of PulseNet International. PulseNet Europe gathers 61 veterinary, food and public health laboratories from 30 countries and, besides PulseNet USA and PulseNet Canada, it is the first international network with a functional central database gathering profiles of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and verocytoxin-producing Escherichia coli genomic DNA. Real time sharing of typing results among participating laboratories facilitates the timely recognition of either national or international food-borne outbreaks. Routine fingerprinting enables the identification of clusters of cases that were not initially recognized as outbreaks using the classical epidemiological methods. It also defines the diversity of the micro-organism within space, its source, and time frames. Participants cooperate to modernize and elaborate new typing techniques, as well as to improve interpretative criteria used in epidemiological investigations. These goals are achievable because of the defined rules and common tools that are established throughout the network. The basic PulseNet tools are: harmonized and standardized PFGE protocols for DNA macrorestriction, common endonucleases and molecular weight markers, and a PulseNet-customized software used for image analysis, which allows the electronic sharing of results among participants’ local databases and the submission of these results to the central database. The database is accessible only by certified participants in order to insure the quality of the results. The long-term goal of PulseNet Europe, as well as that of other PulseNet international networks, is the improvement of food safety worldwide by means of enhancing surveillance of food-borne diseases and cooperation among food regulatory agencies and industry.
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