Food borne disease

What is food borne disease?

Food borne disease is commonly known as food poisoning and can occur when food is not handled correctly.

What are the causes of food poisoning?

There are many commonly known causes such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter.

What should I do if I think I am suffering from food poisoning?

You should contact your Doctor who will assess your symptoms and will probably take a faecal sample to confirm the cause of the illness.

What happens if it is confirmed that I am suffering from food poisoning?

The Environmental Health Service liaises with the Consultant in Public Heath Medicine (CPHM), NHS Ayrshire and Arran in the investigation of food-borne disease.

Whenever a confirmed case of food poisoning is identified, the CPHM contacts the service to investigate the possible source of the poisoning. If there are a few cases linked together, outbreak control measures may have to be taken.
In some cases, persons in contact with the affected person may also be excluded from work, especially where they work in the food industry or work with vulnerable people.

On completion of the investigation, a report is sent to the CPHM for their information.

What happens to the results of the investigation?

All results are recorded centrally by the Health Protection Scotland who compile a national picture of outbreaks and their causes.