Microbial risk assessment: dose-response relations and risk characterization

Characterizations of the risks associated with foodborne pathogens are dependent on the availability of information on the population’s exposure to the biological agents. However, by itself, exposure data are insufficient to assess the public health impact of pathogenic microorganisms. This requires the availability of effective dose-response models. Successful development of models that describe dose-response relations for enteric pathogens is dependent on a sound understanding of the mechanisms of pathogenicity associated with individual pathogens. This includes knowledge of how the various pathogen, host, and food matrix factors influence pathogenicity. Currently, a group of sigmoidal mathematical equations are used to empirically describe dose-response relations. While these have proven to be highly useful, advances in microbial food safety risk assessment will likely require the development of mechanistic models that more effectively consider the range of factors that influence the frequency and severity of foodborne infections in a population.