Infectious diseases

Infectious diseases

Environmental health investigate food poisoning illnesses and illnesses caused by water or recreational activities such as visiting open farms. They investigate by taking samples and also completing a questionnaire to determine the type of bacteria causing the illness and where this bacteria was picked up. This is done so that the source of the bacteria can be found and measures put in place to eradicate the organism.

Infectious disease notification

Health protection legislation in England was updated on the 6 April 2010 to give public authorities powers and duties to prevent and control risks to human health from infection or contamination, including by chemicals and radiation.

Which diseases are notifiable?

Diseases notifiable to the Local Authority include Acute encephalitis, Acute meningitis,  Acute poliomyelitis,  Acute infectious hepatitis,  Anthrax,  Botulism,  Brucellosis,  Cholera,  Diphtheria,  Enteric fever (typhoid or paratyphoid fever),  Food poisoning,  Haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS),  Infectious bloody diarrhoea,  Invasive group A streptococcal disease and scarlet fever,  Legionnaires' Disease,  Leprosy,  Malaria,  Measles,  Meningococcal septicaemia,  Mumps,  Plague,  Rabies,  Rubella,  SARS,  Smallpox,  Tetanus,  Tuberculosis,  Typhus,  Viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF),  Whooping cough,  Yellow fever.