Before we knew the cause of the salmonella poisoned peanut butter, the CDC and FDA knew something was amiss.    What’s the fastest way to spread the word?   Social Media!

The avenues employed by the agencies included blogs, texting, mobile versions of agency Web sites, online video from the FDA and CDC on YouTube, podcasts, XML files and RSS feeds including “CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response,” social network outreach on sites like MySpace, a variety of Twitter entities like @FDArecalls and @CDCemergency, virtual worlds, and widgets. The various channels carried both breaking news as well as education information on Salmonella.

So the next time you’re feeling guilty about the amount of time you’re spending on Facebook…just remember that you could be saving lives! 

Social Media Saves Lives: Salmonella Outbreak Pushes HHS, FDA, CDC to Get Social – ReadWriteWeb.