All notifications of infectious disease are made to the Local Authority to carry out the appropriate investigations and to compile weekly statistical returns.

Most of the infectious diseases that are investigated by the Food Safety Team are or could be linked to food consumption.

Detailed investigations are carried out on all notified or suspected food poisoning incidents. The reasons for investigations are to identify the cause of the incident and to prevent the spread of the disease. Most notifications are of sporadic or isolated cases which are not connected either to other cases or to commercial food businesses. From time to time major outbreaks do occur. When this happens, the investigation takes a high priority and often involves detailed inspections and sampling from the suspected source.

Infectious diseases do not recognise Local Authority boundaries and often it is necessary for us to work closely with colleagues from neighbouring or even far afield district councils. Close collaboration is also necessary with the communicable disease control staff at The Health Protection Agency.

If you suspect that you are suffering from food poisoning or showing similar symptoms, it is important that you visit your doctor but also please advise the Food Safety Team, especially if you have suspicions that a commercial food premises may have been implicated in the incident.

Click here to contact Food Safety