Seasonal synchronization of foodborne outbreaks in the United States, 1996-2017.

ABSTRACT: Modern food systems represent complex dynamic networks vulnerable to foodborne infectious outbreaks difficult to track and control. Seasonal co-occurrences (alignment of seasonal peaks) and synchronization (similarity of seasonal patterns) of infections are noted, yet rarely explored due to their complexity and methodological limitations. We proposed a systematic approach to evaluate the co-occurrence of seasonal peaks using a combination of L-moments, seasonality characteristics such as the timing (phase) and intensity (amplitude) of peaks, and three metrics of serial, phase-phase, and phase-amplitude synchronization. We used public records on counts of nine foodborne infections abstracted from CDC's FoodNet Fast online platform for the US and ten representative states from 1996 to 2017 (

SUBMITTER: Simpson RB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7562704 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature