A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH; WHO DOES WHAT IN AN OUTBREAK? Flashcards
HOW MANY REGIONS DOES UK HEALTH SECURITY AGENCY (UK HSA) INVOLVE AND WHAT DOES EACH REGION HAVE?
9 REGIONS
EACH ONE HAS ITS OWN HEALTH PROTECTION TEAM
WHO DO THE HEALTH PROTECTION TEAMS CONSIST OF?
CONSULTANTS IN COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL, CONSULTANT IN PUBLIC HEALTH, HEALTH PROTECTION NURSE, PRACTITIONERS (NURSES, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS), DATA ANALYTICS, SURVEILLANCE OFFICERS, ADMIN SUPPORT…
FUNCTIONS OF HEALTH PROTECTION TEAMS?
- RESPONSE TO INDIVIDUAL CASES OF INFECTION
- INVESTIGATION AND CONTROL OF OUTBREAKS
- INVESTIGATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS
- CHEMICAL INCIDENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
- PORT HEALTH
- PROVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISE TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES
- SETTING UP AND MAINTAINING SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS
- ANALYZING TRENDS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASE INCIDENCE
- PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAMMES
- TEACHING AND TRAINING
- CONTINUING EDUCATION
WHEN WAS THE HEALTH PROTECTION LEGISLATION IN ENGLAND LAST UPDATED?
6 APRIL 2010
MAIN FEATURES OF HEALTH PROTECTION LEGISLATION UPDATE (2010):
- EXTENDED REQUIREMENT ON REGISTERED MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS TO NOTIFY INDIVIDUAL CASES OF SPECIFIED INFECTIOUS DISEASE (NOTIFIABLE DISEASE) BY ALSO REQUIRING THEM TO NOTIFY CASES OF OTHER INFECTIONS OR OF CONTAMINATION WHICH THEY BELIEVE PRESENT, OR COULD PRESENT, A SIGNIFICANT RISK TO HUMAN HEALTH (USED TO BE VOLUNTARY)
- REQUIRES LABS TO NOTIFY UK HEALTH SECURITY AGENCY
- PROVIDES LOCAL AUTHORITIES WITH WIDER, MORE FLEXIBLE POWERS TO DEAL WITH INCIDENTS OR EMERGENCIES WHERE INFECTION OR CONTAMINATION PRESENTS, OR COULD PRESENT, A SIGNIFICANT RISK TO HUMAN HEALTH
WHAT IS AN OUTBREAK?
THE OCCURRENCE IN A COMMUNITY OR REGION OF CASES OF AN ILLNESS (INFECTIOUS OR NOT) WITH FREQUENCY CLEARLY IN EXCESS OF NORMAL EXPECTANCY
SOME MEMBERS OF A HEALTH PROTECTION TEAM:
- HEALTH PROTECTION TEAM
- HOSPITAL STAFF
- FIELD EPIDEMIOLOGY SERVICES
- MICROBIOLOGISTS
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS (LOCAL AUTHORITIES)
- FOOD SAFETY EXPERTS ( FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY)
- VETERINARY SERVICES
(SOME OF THESE ARE CASE DEPENDANT)
IN MICROBIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS, WHAT IS DONE WITH ALL SAMPLES (BLOOD, STOOL, FOOD) AFTER THEY ARE OBTAINED?
THEY ARE CULTURED (FOR PHAGE TYPING, SERTOTYPING, WHOLE GENOME SEQUENCING)
WHAT IS PHAGE TYPING IN MICROBIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS?
A phenotypic method that uses bacteriophages (“phages” for short) for detecting and identifying single strains of bacteria. Phages are viruses that infect bacteria and may lead to bacterial cell lysis. The bacterial strain is assigned a type based on its lysis pattern.
WHAT DOES ‘ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATION’ CONSIST OF?
- VISIT OF PREMISES
- SEARCHING FOR POTENTIAL RELEASE POINTS OF PATHOGENS
- SEARCHING FOR CONTAMINATED SITES
- OBSERVATION OF PRACTICES
- ASSESSMENT OF HYGIENE
- COLLECTION OF SAMPLES
WHAT IS A TRACE BACK INVESTIGATION?
A traceback investigation is the method used to determine and document the distribution and production chain, and the source(s) of a product that has been implicated in a foodborne illness investigation
WHO CONDUCTS TRACE BACK INVESTIGATIONS? (example)
FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY
FARM TO FORK STRATEGY?
The Farm to Fork Strategy aims to accelerate our transition to a sustainable food system that should:
- have a neutral or positive environmental impact
- help to mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts
- reverse the loss of biodiversity
- ensure food security, nutrition and public health, making sure that everyone has access to sufficient, safe, nutritious, sustainable food
- preserve affordability of food while generating fairer economic returns, fostering competitiveness of the EU supply sector and promoting fair trade
IN VETERINARY INVESTIGATIONS, DEFRA STANDS FOR?
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
TRAWLING QUESTIONNAIRES?
- USED TO GENERATE HYPOTHESES ABOUT POSSIBLE SOURCES OF INFECTION
- CONTAIN QUESTIONS ABOUT DEMOGRAPHIC INFO, EXPOSURES AND KNOWN RISK FACTORS, LISTS OF FOOD ITEMS, LISTS OF ACTIVITIES, COMORBIDITIES..
