This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Action Plan against threat of E Coli
24/05/2002
A comprehensive action plan to counter the ongoing
threat of E.coli O157 in Scotland was published today.
The plan, agreed by the Executive and the
Food Standards
Agency, sets out a joint response to the report of the
Task Force on E.Coli O157, published in July 2001, and
outlines the work that has been done to meet the
recommendations made by the Task Force since its
publication.
The Task Force report included 105 recommendations in
areas as diverse as diagnosis and patient care by health
professionals, outbreak control, preventing infection
through all types of food preparation, waste recycling,
risk to water supplies and access to the country.
A key element of today's action plan will be to help
raise awareness in ways of avoiding infection. The
Health Education
Board for Scotland (HEBS) and the Executive are working
to build on ongoing public information campaigns to raise
public awareness.
These will highlight measures such as better ways of
storing and preparing food, taking care with animal waste
and improving the quality of drinking water in the
countryside which can all help reduce infection.
Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm said:
"I am pleased to welcome today's response to the report
of the Task Force on E.coli O157. No one should be in any
doubt that this organism represents a continuing and
serious threat to health, and that there are steps which we
can all take to guard against infection.
"The response sets out the good work underway to help
reduce the threat from E.coli. For example, the Food
Standards Agency launched a five-year £20 million Food
Hygiene Campaign in February to help reduce food poisoning
rates, including E.coli, by 20 per cent by 2006. The
Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health have
also received £150,000 of additional Executive funding over
the next two years for an enhanced programme of infection
and disease surveillance.
"The Cairns Smith Group, a joint review group set up by
the Executive and the FSA to look at outbreak management
also published new guidance on this issue in April
2002. Additionally Scottish Water has received new guidance
on testing water for E.coli O157 and arrangements are being
planned to drive up standards for water from private
supplies. Guidance was also issued by the Executive's
Health Department in March on Recreational Use of Animal
Pasture to help cut down on infection from animal
waste.
"It is not just at government level that this problem
can be tackled. There are ways in which every one of us can
take some responsibility for avoiding E.coli O157
infection. Straightforward preventative measures such as
handwashing can protect against the potentially serious
consequences of this infection. Better food hygiene such as
checking that meat is properly cooked is equally important
and effective.
"That is why I am asking HEBS to continue to develop
accessible material on simple and effective ways in which
people can stay healthy. New leaflets and guidance
providing further information on ways of avoiding infection
will be issued later on this year."
Dr George Paterson, Director of the
Food Standards
Agency Scotland, said:
"Scotland has an unenviable record of E.coli O157
infection and it is important that we all work together to
tackle this potential killer. Everyone has a role to play.
Even simple measures like washing your hands before
preparing food or between handling raw and cooked food can
help avoid food poisoning.
The Food
Standards Agency Scotland will continue to work in
partnership to eliminate the threat of E.coli O157
poisoning."
E.coli O157 is an organism that can be either food-borne
or carried through contact with animals. It can cause
symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhoea and in a minority
of cases kidney failure. There are generally around 250-300
cases of the infection each year in Scotland which can
cause serious risk to children and older people.
Following the major outbreak of E.coli O157 in Wishaw in
1997, two major studies into the infection were carried out
in Scotland. An epidemiological study led by SCIEH found
that the most common way of sporadic cases (i.e. those not
involved in outbreaks, the great majority of cases) being
infected was through contact with farm animal faeces. The
second, carried out by the Scottish Agricultural Council
reported that, at any one time, a high proportion of cattle
(and to a lesser extent sheep) could be carrying and
shedding the organism into the environment.
Because of these factors, it was recognised that E.coli
O157 remained a small but significant risk to public health
in Scotland, especially to children and older people, and
there was a need to review additional preventive
measures.
The Task Force on E.Coli O157 was set up in September
2000 and was led by Professor Bill Reilly, a veterinarian
working with SCIEH. It took evidence from more than 100
individuals with an interest in the subject, including
representatives of the public, healthcare professionals,
epidemiologists, veterinary surgeons and agriculture
experts.
The Task Force's remit was to examine the information
available on the incidence of E.coli O157 in Scotland
and:
- review the risk to health of the public in
Scotland, and current
- activities to prevent human infection with E.coli
O157
- assess the effectiveness of the present
arrangements for co-ordination of action at national
and local level
- consider what future measures would help protect
public health