Category Archives: HPA

HPA Report – Listeriosis in England and Wales

Posted on April 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

HPA 

In 2010, there was a 13.6% decrease in the number of reported cases of listeriosis with a total of 159 cases reported in England and Wales. This decline continued in 2011 with a further 7.5% decrease resulting in 147 reported cases. In 2011, 82% of cases were non-pregnancy related while 16% were pregnancy related; this represents a 6.4% increase in pregnancy related cases from the previous year. However, the number of pregnancy related cases is within observed levels and this proportional difference is likely in part, to be a result of fewer non pregnancy-related cases. Nevertheless, the number of pregnancy related cases is higher than previous years with the exception of 2009 (figure 1). An increase in pregnancy related listeriosis cases amongst ethnic minorities since 2006 in England and Wales has also been reported [3].

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Poisoning, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, HPA, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

UK – Staffordshire Closed Till Easter – 18 Cases E.coli O157

Posted on March 20, 2012 by | Leave a comment

BBC News 

A Staffordshire primary school which was closed because of an E. coli outbreak is expected to remain shut until after Easter.

The closure followed 18 confirmed cases of E. coli O157 at Friarswood Primary School in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils will be taught in a nearby college while a thorough deep cleaning is carried out.

The Health Protection Agency is still trying to find the source of the bacteria, which often causes diarrhoea.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, HPA, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen

UK- Staffordshire School Closed – E.coli O157

Posted on March 9, 2012 by | Leave a comment

BBC News

A Staffordshire primary school has been closed due to an outbreak of E. coli. Three cases have been confirmed and all pupils at Friarswood Primary School in Newcastle-under-Lyme are being tested, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said. The E. coli O157 bacteria usually causes diarrhoea, it added.

Staffordshire County Council said it is believed the infection was brought into the school from an outside source. A thorough clean is now under way.

The school will reopen when it safe to do so, the council added.

 

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, HPA, Microbiology, Pathogen

HPS – Norovirus – Rotavirus- Cryptosporidium and Giardia Report 2011

Posted on February 29, 2012 by | Leave a comment

HPA 

The Health Protection Agency Scotlan (HPA) has released its 2011 report into the incidence of viral and protozoal reported infections 2011.

There were 1668 laboratory reports of Norovirus (NV) to HPS in 2011, a marked decrease of 1441 (46.3%) on 2010 when there were 3109 reports.

There were 1465 laboratory reports of Rotavirus to HPS in 2011, a decrease of 326 (18.2%) compared to 2010 when there were 1791 reports.

A total of 442 isolates of Cryptosporidium sp. were reported to HPS in 2011. This compares with 584 in 2010, a statistically significant decrease of 24%.

A total of 194 isolates of Giardia sp. were reported to HPS in 2011.

 

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Posted in Cryptosporidium, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Virus, Giardia, HPA, Microbiology, Rotavirus

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HPA – Legionella Cluster in Spain Update

Posted on February 10, 2012 by | Leave a comment

HPA

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has this week been alerted by the Spanish public health authorities about a further case of Legionnaires’ Disease in a UK resident who stayed at the Diamante Beach Hotel in Calpe, Costa Blanca, as well as two French cases. This brings the total number of UK residents associated with this cluster to 12, with three deaths.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, HPA, Legionella, Microbiology

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HPA Launches a New Website for UK Standards for Microbiology Investigations (SMI)

Posted on February 6, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Dear User of UK Standards for Microbiology Investigations

 I am very pleased to tell you that the new website holding UK Standard for Microbiology Investigations is now available at http://www.hpa.org.uk/SMI.  The current website with which you are familiar at  http://www.hpa-standardmethods.org.uk/ will continue to be available until 23 March 2012 whilst we complete the transfer of the bacteriology SMIs.

 Changes to the design and information architecture of the SMI web pages aim to improve accessibility and allow the content to be speedily updated by staff in the Standards Unit. There is no requirement for a password and all the documents can be easily downloaded in PDF without restriction. It is anticipated that laboratories will convert the PDF format to word format when required.  An RSS feed for the web pages is in development.

 The SMIs on the new website continue to be listed by discipline and we hope the new format will make it easier for you to find the document of your choice along with comments from consultation. Once all the bacteriology documents are completed  we will decommission the old website and start to present the documents under syndromes, as well as by discipline. You will also note that the documents are presented in a newly designed template which distinguishes them as microbiology standards rather than laboratory SOPs and gives a more professional look to the publications.

 The new web pages on which the SMI documents are displayed are part of the HPA website.  An alternative route to the SMI webpages is as follows: 

·         www.hpa.org.uk <http://www.hpa.org.uk/>  > Products & Services <http://www.hpa.org.uk/ProductsServices/>  > Infectious Diseases <http://www.hpa.org.uk/ProductsServices/InfectiousDiseases/> > Quality Assurance <http://www.hpa.org.uk/ProductsServices/InfectiousDiseases/QualityAssurance/>  >UK Standards for Microbiology Investigations Home <http://www.hpa.org.uk/ProductsServices/InfectiousDiseases/QualityAssurance/UKStandardsForMicrobiologyInvestigations/> .

 SMIs are primarily intended as a general resource for practicing professionals in microbiology laboratory in the UK and assist with the laboratory diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. In addition, this new online resource aims also to provide support to clinical  microbiologists and commissioners of microbiology services.

I hope you find the new website a useful resource.

Valerie Bevan PhD MA MSc CSci FIBMS MIHM
Head of Department for Standards and Quality
Lead for Equality and Diversity for Microbiology Services
HPA Microbiology Services
Health Protection Agency
61 Colindale Avenue
London NW9 5EQ
Tel: 0208 327 6037

 

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Technology, Food Testing, HPA, Microbiology

HPS -Scotland E.coli Report 2011

Posted on February 4, 2012 by | Leave a comment

HPS Report

Health Protection Scotland (HPS) said it had recorded 253 positive cases of E.coli during 2011, up from 212 the previous year.

The agency blamed the increase on a UK-wide outbreak believed to have originated from contaminated vegetables. The outbreak, between December 2010 and July 2011, saw 250 cases of E.coli infection throughout England, Wales and Scotland and 74 victims treated in hospital.

The agency blamed the increase on a UK-wide outbreak believed to have originated from contaminated vegetables. The outbreak, between December 2010 and July 2011, saw 250 cases of E. coli infection throughout England, Wales and Scotland and 74 victims treated in hospital.

However, the HPS report also noted that the apparent spike in E. coli between 2010 and 2011 was partly due to the unusually low rate of E. coli infection in 2010.

The report also noted decreases in salmonella and campylobacter.
In 2011, HPS received reports of 736 cases of salmonella infection – a decrease of almost 22% on the 941 reported in 2010.

Cases of campylobacter were also down 3.6% to 6366 last year, although the figure remains “one of the highest on record.”

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Posted in Campylobacter, E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, HPA, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, outbreak, Recall, Salmonella

Legionella Outbreak – Spain

Posted on February 3, 2012 by | Leave a comment

HPA Release

Although not food based all food manufacturing sites have to demonstrate Legionella control. This article just highlights what can happen when the water systems that the organism can colonise is not controlled correctly.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is aware of nine cases of Legionnaires’ disease in English holiday makers associated with the Diamante Beach Hotel in Calpe, Costa Blanca since January 2012, in addition to four Spanish cases so far reported. Subsequently two of the English patients are reported to have died from their illness.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, HPA, Legionella, Microbiology, outbreak