Gastrointestinal disease

Gastrointestinal infection (infectious intestinal disease) affects as many as 1 in 5 members of the population each year. Symptoms of gastrointestinal infection, which are not necessarily confined to diarrhoea and vomiting, are caused by the organisms themselves or by the toxins that they produce.

The HPA becomes aware of possible outbreaks of infectious intestinal disease from various sources including the national laboratory reporting scheme, consultants in communicable disease control (CCDCs), Environmental Health Officers (EHOs), microbiologists and the HPA reference laboratories.

A structured questionnaire is then sent out to be completed by the lead investigator on completion of the outbreak investigation. The questionnaire seeks data on the outbreak, including details of setting, mode of transmission, causative organism and details of epidemiological and laboratory investigations. Data from the questionnaires are stored and analysed by computer.

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