Rushil Vipulkumar Patel analyzes the Rajneeshpuram Salmonella outbreak of 1984 in this case study. Although investigations eventually clarified that the event was indeed a bioterrorist attack, it was initially handled as a food-borne outbreak. This mis-identification of the outbreak’s cause and a lack of inter-departmental cooperation significantly delayed effective public health response to the disaster.
In this report, Patel comments on the inadequacies in the public health response to this disaster and considers modifications that could have improved response efforts in retrospect. Additionally, Patel draws on lessons from the case and concludes a list of key concerns of public health workers when facing a disease outbreak.