Hazard Identification: Identifying microorganisms of concern and their sources. Exposure Assessment: Estimating the extent to which individuals are exposed to the microbial hazard. This can include measuring concentrations of pathogens in water, food, or air and assessing human behavior that affects exposure. Dose-Response Assessment: Establishing the relationship between the dose of the microorganism and the likelihood of adverse health effects, often using epidemiological data and experimental studies. Risk Characterization: Integrating the data from the previous steps to estimate the risk of infection or illness in the population. This step often includes uncertainty analysis to account for variability in data and assumptions.
