Individual susceptibility - Achilles heal of microbial risk assessment

[Enda Cummins (UCD)]

A key issue in microbial risk assessment is defining the susceptibility of individuals. Given the lack of scientific data to assess this susceptability is it the achilles heal of microbial risk assessment? Are there any reliable dose-response realtionships out there for any microbe!?

[Don Schaffner (Uni Rutgers)]

...is it the achilles heal of microbial risk assessment? Are there any reliable dose-response realtionships out there for any microbe!?

Hey Enda, I think it was Greg Paoli that first suggested that cross-contamination modeling might be the Achilles heal of microbial risk assessment :)

But seriously, as to your question about dose-response models, I guess that depends what you mean by reliable ;) ... Certainly there are lots of dose reponse models out there.

http://www.foodrisk.org/ and http://www.cost920.com/00020.html are both good places to start.

There is also a very nice summary in the book by Haas, Rose and Gerba: http://www.amazon.com/Risk-Assessment-Haas/dp/0471183970.