Infectious Diseases
An infectious disease is a disease
that is transferred from person to
person.
All GP's have a duty to notify the
Local Authority when they diagnose certain types of infectious
disease such as
Mumps,
Measles,
Rabies etc
Once a notification has been
received, officers from the Food and Safety Group investigate the
cause of the disease and determine any further necessary
action.
Food
Poisoning
Food poisoning is a name given to a
group of infectious diseases that cause similar symptoms and are
associated with food.
The symptoms are generally caused by
bacteria, viruses, chemicals, metals or poisonous plants, but
the most common type of food poisoning is caused by bacteria.
Symptoms can consist of:
-
Diarrhoea
-
Vomiting
- Abdominal Pain
- Nausea
- Headache
- Fever
Typical examples of Food Poisoning
are:
- Salmonella
- Campylobacter
- Lysteria
Food borne illness can spread
quickly, partly because everyone in the family could have eaten the
same food and partly because the bacteria may be picked up by close
family contact (e.g. nursing the sick). Viruses can also cause
illness, similar to food poisoning and they also spread very
quickly.
If you suspect you are suffering
food poisoning it is recommended that you visit your doctor as soon
as possible, who might ask you to submit a sample for
examination.
Samples are useful in that they
might be able to show which food-borne illness you are suffering
from, or could rule out a food-poisoning organism. Viruses can also
be detected. Consult your doctor immediately if the person affected
is a baby, elderly or has an existing illness or condition or if
symptoms are prolonged or severe (e.g. bloody diarrhoea).
If you or a member of your family
are suffering from the symptoms of food poisoning, it is
recommended that you follow the advice below to try and prevent the
spread of the illness:
- Wash your hands after contact with the sick person,
and before handling food.
- Do not use the same towel or face cloth as someone
who is suffering with food borne illness.
- Clear up soiling accidents straightaway, wash with
hot soapy water and disinfect with a disinfectant or bleach.
- Disinfect door and toilet handles, taps and the
toilet seat after use and disinfect the toilet bowl
frequently.
- Drink plenty of fluids while you are ill to prevent
dehydration.
We receive many complaints
alleging that a certain food has caused illness.The food being
blamed will almost always be the last thing the person ate before
becoming ill.
However, most food poisoning
bacteria do not cause illness until 12 to 36 hours after they have
entered the body. This means it will hardly ever be what you ate
last that made you ill, but rather what you ate yesterday or even
the day before.
Infection
Control - Flood Damage - provides information in the event of
flooding as there may be risks of ill health due to
water-borne infection.
Please note - information provided on
these pages is for guidance only and should not be regarded as a
complete statement of the law.