Food borne illnesses
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Food borne illnesses
Public Health South is responsible for investigating individual cases of food borne illness and suspected food borne illness outbreaks. This includes investigating cases of:
- Campylobacter
- Salmonella
- Shigella
- Listeria
- VTEC (E. coli)
- Yersinia
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever
- Acute Gastroenteritis associated with contaminated food.
Notification of food borne illnesses
While most cases are notified by General Practitioners, cases of suspected food borne illness reported by members of the public are also investigated.
When notified of a case or suspected outbreak, we undertake a telephone interview with the individual or indivduals who consumed the implicated meal. The aim is to obtain information relating to:
- symptoms
- the time of onset of illness
- a history of food eaten
- activities undertaken prior to the onset of illness.
This information will help to establish a likely source and pathogen responsible for illness. Outbreak cases may be required to provide a clinical specimen for analysis and if food samples are available these are also likely to be analysed.
Link to Public Health South food saftey and food investigations
Food premises
When a food premises is implicated, PHS will visit the premises with the local Environmental Health Officer to undertake a risk assessment on the implicated food. The purpose of the assessment is to determine if any faulty practices have occurred that may lead to the production of unsafe food and may have caused the alleged illness, and to rectify these practises.
To notify us of a suspected food borne illness, please contact:
Dunedin office (03) 476 9800
Queenstown office (03) 450 9156
Invercargill office (03) 211 0900 and ask to speak to a Health Protection Officer.