Public Health Information Case Study Assessment
- An Information Leaflet for General Public Distribution
We regret to inform you of a Shigellosis outbreak in the local area. The health protection team is working closely with local nurseries and playgroups to investigate the source of the infection and take steps to prevent further spread.
What is Shigellosis?
Shigellosis is a bacterial infection that can cause diarrhoea, stomach cramps, fever, and vomiting. Since it's highly contagious, it spreads through contact with contaminated faeces, usually from person to person.
Symptoms of Shigellosis can start between one to seven days after exposure to the bacteria. The infection can last a few days to a week and sometimes longer in severe cases (Ahamed, S.T. and Giri, N. 2021).
How is Shigellosis spread?
Shigellosis can be spread through contaminated food or water but most commonly through person-to-person contact. This can happen when people don't wash their hands properly after using the toilet or changing a nappy and touching surfaces or objects others may touch.
How can I prevent the spread of Shigellosis?
Practising good hygiene is the most important way to curb the spread of Shigellosis. Washing hands regularly with soap and water comes in handy, especially after using the toilet or changing a nappy, preparing or eating food, and contacting someone with diarrhoea (Boveé, L. et al., 2012).
Other ways to prevent the spread of Shigellosis include:
• Avoiding sharing towels, facecloths, or utensils
• Disinfecting surfaces regularly, especially in bathrooms and kitchens
• Ensuring food is cooked thoroughly and stored properly
• Keeping sick children at home until they are well again
If you or your child have Shigellosis symptoms, seeking medical advice is essential. Your GP can advise on appropriate treatment and managing the symptoms at home.
What to do if there is an outbreak of Shigellosis in my child's playgroup or nursery?
Suppose there is an outbreak of Shigellosis in your child's playgroup or nursery; the local health protection team will work closely with the school or nursery to investigate the source of the infection and take steps to prevent further spread.
You may be asked to keep your child at home for a while to prevent them from spreading the infection to others. You should also follow the advice of the health protection team on how to prevent the spread of the infection.
It is important to remember that outbreaks of Shigellosis are not uncommon, and they can happen in any setting where people are in close contact (Carias C. et al., 2019).
What is being done to prevent the spread of Shigellosis in the local area?
The local health protection team is working closely with local nurseries and playgroups to investigate the outbreak and prevent the further spread of the infection.
Dr Winston Charles, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control, said: "We take outbreaks of infectious diseases very seriously and are working closely with local nurseries and playgroups to identify the source of the infection and prevent further spread."
Sam Wilson, Specialist Community Public Health Nurse for Schools, added: "We are also working to raise awareness of good hygiene practices among parents, staff, and children to help prevent the spread of infection."
In conclusion, Shigellosis is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can cause diarrhoea, stomach cramps, fever, and vomiting. Good hygiene practices are the most effective way to prevent the spread of the infection. They include washing your hands regularly with soap and water (Ebrahim Mohammed Al-Hajj et al., 2020). If any person has symptoms of Shigellosis, they should seek medical advice and follow the advice of the local health protection team to prevent the further spread of the infection. - A Professional Press Release
PRESS RELEASE: SHIGELLOSIS OUTBREAK IN NOWHERE AND EVERYWHERE DISTRICT
The local health protection team (HPT) is investigating a potential outbreak of Shigellosis in the Nowhere and Everywhere district. Early investigations based on laboratory reports and GP notifications suggest a potential source of the infection could be a local preschool playgroup, although this needs to be confirmed.
The 111 online service triaged the first cases over the weekend. Some toddlers were referred to urgent treatment centres whilst other parents were advised how to manage symptoms at home. The first samples from suspected cases arrived in the laboratory on Sunday night.
Shigellosis is a bacterial infection that can cause diarrhoea, stomach cramps, fever, and vomiting. It usually spreads from person to person. Symptoms of Shigellosis can start between one to seven days after exposure to the bacteria. The infection can last a few days to a week and sometimes longer in severe cases.
Dr. Winston Charles, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control, said: "Our team is working closely with the outbreak management team to investigate this potential outbreak. We are taking this very seriously and are doing everything we can to identify the source of the infection and prevent further spread."
Sam Wilson, Specialist Community Public Health Nurse for Schools, added: "We are currently contacting all the parents and staff members associated with the playgroup to inform them of the potential outbreak and advise them on how to prevent the further spread of the infection. We are also working with the playgroup to implement enhanced cleaning measures and to monitor the health of all staff and children."
The health protection team has contacted all local nurseries and playgroups to provide information on Shigellosis and advice on preventing the spread of the infection. The team also produces an information leaflet for parents/guardians to distribute to all local playgroups and nursery schools.
The health protection team would like to remind parents and guardians of the importance of good hygiene practices in preventing the spread of Shigellosis.
It is also important to avoid sharing towels, facecloths, or utensils, disinfect surfaces regularly, especially in bathrooms and kitchens, ensure food is cooked thoroughly and stored properly, and keep sick children at home until they are well again.
The health protection team is working closely with local nurseries and playgroups to investigate the outbreak and prevent the further spread of the infection. Any parent or guardian concerned about their child's health should seek medical advice from their GP or call 111.
In response to a local journalist's suggestion that there has been an excessive delay in identifying this outbreak, the health protection team would like to clarify that investigations into potential outbreaks of infectious diseases are complex and involve multiple stages, including laboratory testing and contact tracing. Public health and safety come top, and we are working as quickly as possible to identify the source of the infection and prevent further spread.
The health protection team would also like to remind the public that outbreaks of Shigellosis are popular where people are in close contact with each other. The team is committed to providing ongoing support and guidance to nurseries, playgroups, and the wider community to help prevent the spread of infection.
The health protection team will continue to provide updates on the Shigellosis outbreak as new information becomes available.
Reference List
Ahamed, S.T. & Giri, N. 2021, "Shigellosis and Development of Multiple Antimicrobial Resistance Mechanisms of Shigella Spp", Biosciences Biotechnology Research Asia, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 703-718.
Boveé, L., Whelan, J., Sonder, G.J.B., van Dam, A.,P. & van den Hoek, A. 2012, "Risk factors for secondary transmission of Shigella infection within households: implications for current prevention policy", BMC Infectious Diseases, vol. 12, pp. 347.
Carias, C., Undurraga, E.A., Hurd, J., Kahn, E.B., Meltzer, M.I. & Bowen, A. 2019, "Evaluation of the impact of shigellosis exclusion policies in childcare settings upon detection of a shigellosis outbreak", BMC Infectious Diseases, vol. 19.
Ebrahim Mohammed Al-Hajj, Malik, S.M., Abd Alfadil, N.,A., Altayb, H.N., Abeer, B.I., El-Zaki, S. & Hassan, M.A. 2020, Contamination of Currency Notes with Kanamycin Resistant Shigella flexneri, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor.
Ko, C., Lin, N., Chiou, C., Wang, L., Liu, M., Yang, C. & Lee, Y. 2013, "Infrequent cross-transmission of Shigella flexneri 2a strains among villages of a mountainous township in Taiwan with endemic shigellosis", BMC Infectious Diseases, vol. 13, pp. 354.
Rui, J., Chen, Q., Chen, Q., Hu, Q., Hannah, M.N., Zhao, Z., Wang, Y., Liu, X., Zhao, L., Yu, S., Yi-Chen, C., Zhao, B., Su, Y., Zhao, B. & Chen, T. 2020, "Feasibility of containing shigellosis in Hubei Province, China: a modelling study", BMC Infectious Diseases, vol. 20, pp. 1-10.
Swee-Seong Tang, Biswas, S.K., Tan, W.S., Saha, A.K. & Bey-Fen Leo 2019, "Efficacy and potential of phage therapy against multidrug resistant Shigella spp", PeerJ, .
Wu, J.J., Fu-Yuan, S., Chan-Hsien Chiu, Yeh, Y., Yan, J., King, C. & Mei-Shang, H. 2011, "Evaluation of an Adjustable Epidemiologic Information System", PLoS One, vol. 6, no. 1.