The Iowa Department of Public Health announced on Oct. 19 a new joint initiative with the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) to reduce the impact of foodborne illness in Iowa.

IDPH and DIA jointly created IowaSic, a statewide one-call system to report illnesses associated with food poisoning.

“Once a call is made to the IowaSic hotline (1-844-469-2742), trained specialists will begin an investigation into the cause and source of the illness, which could greatly reduce the number of ill Iowans,” said IDPH Medical Director, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk

The 2013 Cyclospora outbreak, which sickened 643 people in 25 states, including at least 127 individuals in Iowa, Nebraska, and other Midwest states, is an example of how foodborne illness investigations are conducted.

During the 2013 outbreak, epidemiologists and food safety specialists, working in collaboration with the State Hygienic Laboratory, traced the cause of the Cyclospora outbreak to fresh produce grown and packaged in Mexico. The contaminated product had been distributed to a national restaurant chain where it eventually was consumed by patrons primarily in Iowa and Nebraska.

“Iowa was the first state to positively identify the cause of the outbreak, which permitted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to trace it back to the source,” said Dr. Quinlisk. “Had the IowaSic hotline and supporting processes been in place in 2013, it’s possible the duration and impact of the outbreak could have been reduced.”

The IowaSic hotline will be answered by IDPH specialists who will ask callers about the illness, symptoms, onset and duration, and also complete a history of all foods consumed for the past several days. Illnesses associated with foods purchased from or consumed at food establishments will be investigated by staff in DIA’s Food and Consumer Safety Bureau.

Food poisoning happens after eating or drinking contaminated foods or beverages, and occurs at any time throughout the food preparation process, including growing, distribution processes, storage, cooking and service. Often, foodborne illness is the result of cross-contamination, poor hygiene, or improper heating and cooling of prepared foods. Those who suspect food poisoning after consuming an item from a restaurant, grocery store, convenience store, market or public gathering, may call IDPH’s IowaSic hotline at 1-844-469-2742.