Which entity provides a national outbreak investigation network by connecting with state and local health departments, USDA, and FDA?

• A. PulseNet
• B. FDA
• C. CDC's Outbreak Response Team
• D. EPA

Answer: (C)

National outbreak investigation coordination is about a central team that pulls together state and local health departments along with federal partners to rapidly detect, investigate, and respond to outbreaks. The CDC's Outbreak Response Team serves as that central coordinating body, mobilizing epidemiologists, environmental health specialists, and laboratorians and coordinating with state and local health authorities as well as with the USDA and FDA. This team leads field investigations, shares data, and helps implement control and prevention measures across jurisdictions.

PulseNet, while crucial as a national lab-based surveillance network that links cases by genetic fingerprinting to spot clusters, is primarily about detection and lab data sharing rather than acting as the single nationwide investigation coordination hub that directly connects with USDA and FDA. FDA and EPA are agencies, not the centralized outbreak investigation network described.