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2748 ination of pet food, a detection method involving liquid chroma-tography–mass spectrometry became widely available and reliably identifies both cyanuric acid and melamine. A number of suspect foods from China tested by the FDA were found to contain melamine (see table), and more are being reported around the world each week. Furthermore, the FDA has found trace levels of melamine in several U.S. infant formulas and, as of the end of November, states that 1 part per million is permitted. Yet it is not certain what should be done going forward. In the United States, common-sense suggestions have been posted on the Web sites of both the FDA (The pediatric nephrol-ogy community, the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology, and the International Pediatric Ne-phrology Association recommend vigilance without panic (www. aspneph.com/ASPNStatement% 20Melamine%20Oct22_cbl%20(3). pdf). All these organizations suggest examining at-risk children exposed to the brands of infant formula, such as Sanlu, that are known to have been heavily contaminated by melamine. The bottom line, however, is that nobody knows the true extent of the present epidemic or the risks to come. No more deaths have been reported since the Chi-nese government and the international public health community became aware of the problem. Yet the long-term health effects remain unknown. In today's world, it is crucial to understand and deal with the global implications of foodborne diseases if problems like the mel-amine epidemic are to be prevented. In 2006, the WHO launched an ambitious project to estimate and understand the global burden of foodborne disease, and the Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group appears to be well on its way to achievement of its initial goals. In addition, the group will be developing much-needed user-friendly tools so that outbreaks, be they due to organisms or chemical substances, can be studied more rapidly and the causes identified , reported, and eliminated.2. er DN. Determination of melamine and cya-nuric acid residues. Laboratory information bulletin no. 4421. Vol. Outbreaks of renal failure associated with melamine and cyanuric acid in dogs and cats in 2004 and 2007. Phase II trial of intravenous hexamethylmelamine in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. O n my first day as an attending physician in a new hospital , I found my house staff and students in the team room, a snug bunker filled with glowing monitors. Instead of sitting down to hear about the patients, I suggested we head out to see …