Investigating Infectious Diseases
Stratford on Avon District Council is responsible for the investigation and prevention of the spread of infectious diseases. Doctors and UKHSA laboratories are obliged to inform us whenever they come across certain infectious diseases.
The main infectious diseases reported to the team are:
In every case an attempt is made to contact each patient in order to confirm the facts and to establish how and where the infection occurred. Advice is given on how to prevent the infection from spreading or reoccurring. In some cases this may involve taking action to close an unsatisfactory food premises.
There are many potential sources of infectious diseases as well as food. Illness can also be caused by contact with:
Alleged Food Poisoning
Food poisoning is an illness caused by eating contaminated food, in most cases where food is contaminated by bacteria. There are a number of bacteria that can cause food poisoning. The most common are:
Campylobacter
Cryptosporidiosis
E.Coli O157
Salmonella
It takes time for infections to develop inside the gut (typically 12-36 hours) and the duration of illness can be anywhere between 24 hours and seven days. The most common symptoms include vomiting/nausea, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
If you feel you are suffering with the symptoms of food poisoning you should visit your local GP. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may ask you to submit a stool sample to confirm a diagnosis. If it is confirmed as food poisoning and if they suspect an outbreak or a link to a food business, the doctor will notify us and the UKHSA.
Please be aware that we can only investigate an alleged food poisoning if you believe it is directly linked to a premises in our district. The Food Safety Team investigates cases of suspected food poisoning in order to achieve the following objectives:
- Primarily to prevent the spread of disease, and secondarily
- To see whether any offence has been committed under the food safety legislation
If you wish to report a suspected incident of food poisoning relating to a business in the district, please complete our Alleged Food Poisoning Questionnaire and return it to envhealth@stratford-dc.gov.uk
Avian Influenza
Avian influenza is an infectious disease of birds caused by the influenza A virus. Birds are the hosts for most avian influenza viruses and a variety of influenza subtypes can be found in birds, particularly in water fowl and shore birds. Domestic poultry are especially vulnerable and the virus can rapidly cause epidemics in flocks.
Human infections with avian influenza are rare. However, some viruses, such as H5N1 or H7N9, have been associated with human disease.
The symptoms of avian influenza in humans vary considerably depending on the strain or subtype of the virus involved. Most infections take the form of a flu-like illness (fever, cough, body or muscle pain, sore throat, runny nose). Other symptoms can include conjunctivitis (red, sore and discharging eyes).
For further information on Avian Influenza, please see the UKHSA Guidance.
