Final answer:
A food borne illness outbreak is defined as two or more people contracting the same disease from a common source, with symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.
Step-by-step explanation:
An outbreak of a food borne disease occurs when two or more people experience the same disease after consuming food from a common source. While many food borne illnesses are reported as sporadic cases, it's the identification of a common source and multiple cases that constitutes an outbreak.
This is typically seen with symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and pains, which are common to foodborne diseases. The incubation period for these illnesses can vary, with toxins causing symptoms sooner than microorganisms. Outbreaks are often investigated through case-control studies to identify the contaminated food item, and such outbreaks can occur in a variety of settings, including restaurants and schools.
For instance, the Salmonella outbreak affecting 1,127 people was traced back to onions, while another investigation of gastroenteritis in Florida with 254 cases pointed to a post-Thanksgiving food source. Epidemiological studies can narrow down the suspects, helping public health officials identify the responsible pathogens and possibly prevent further spread of the disease.