Food Poisoning
Officers of the local council investigate food poisoning cases. Many different sorts of germs such as bacteria, parasites and viruses are "pathogenic" which means they cause vomiting and/or diarrhoea in people. The purpose of any investigation is to try to prevent the spread of illness within the family and the larger community and to try and find out what has caused it. Advice is given to the patient or the patient's guardian if they are a child, on how this may be achieved.
GPs often call vomiting and diarrhoea food poisoning or gastroenteritis.
Information leaflet on Gastroenteritis
If a person in your household is found to be suffering from symptoms of food poisoning you may be asked to submit a stool (poo / faecal) specimen for analysis. Sometimes, the affected person and household members may be asked to provide more than one specimen, possibly several days apart. Stool samples may be obtained in several ways. Children who are still in nappies may have a specimen taken from the soiled nappy. Older infants who are ‘potty’ trained, older children and adults may follow the suggested guidance in the information leaflet.
An information leaflet on how to obtain a "stool" specimen
Officers also investigate outbreaks of diarrhoea and vomiting in institutions like residential care homes, nursing homes, resource centres, children’s nurseries and schools. These may be caused because of problems with food but are more often caused by viruses spread by vomiting. An outbreak is where two or more cases (children and/or adults) with the same infection or symptoms occur around the same time and place.
Institutions like the ones listed above should know their general levels of illness, particularly cases with vomiting and/or diarrhoea, so that if there are raised levels from that normally observed, they know this may indicate an outbreak.
If you need any more information or advice you can contact the Communicable Diseases Unit on 01274 434392 or contact us online using the Infectious Diseases Enquiry Form.
