Example QMRA dose-response curves for three pathogens

Examples of dose-response relationships for three pathogens: Campylobacter jejuni (orange), enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (green), and Salmonella spp (blue). In this case, the human health outcome of interest is probability of illness (on the vertical axis).  Dose-response relationships like the one illustrated here are at the core of QMRA.  Steps 1 and 2 lead to estimates of an exposure dose (the horizontal axis) for a defined set of pathogens, while Steps 3 and 4 use the dose-response relationship to translate that exposure dose into an estimate of risk.