Foodborne disease outbreak − duties of medical specialists
-important role in recognizing suspicious symptoms, disease clusters, and etiological agents; reporting cases to public health authorities
-medical specialist (who performed first medical aid) has to inform the corresponding Regional Health Inspection (RHI) within a period of 24h → RHI immediately informs Ministry of health
-medical specialists has do perform following first urgent measures:
- Anamnesis (medical history) about the circumstances
- Ensures collection of samples (vomit, feces, urine) from sick people and from food
- Organize in time the appropriate sending to laboratory or ensures correct storage until arrival of medical team
- Explain the patient not to consume available food in the focus
-investigation of foodborne disease outbreak (FBDO) is narrow collaboration of RHI and medical institutions; medical team is required (physician with specialty in nutrition and dietics, epidemiologists, microbiologists) → systemically description: outbreak, how many affected, when, where…
-to make a diagnosis
"Five keys for safer food" → keep clean
→ separate raw and cooked
→ cook thoroughly
→ keep food at safe temperatures
→ use safe water and raw materials