The role of Bordetella pertussis in the development of multiple sclerosis.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common neurological disorders which main cause is not identified yet. Some studies mentioned the possible role of infectious agents such as chlamydia pneumonia, mycoplasma and also, B. pertussis via asymptomatic nasopharyngeal colonization.

Outbreak of food poisoning linked to leeks in cheese sauce: an unusual source.

Between 11-13 December 2018, local public health authorities in the West Midlands, England were alerted to 34 reports of diarrhoea with abdominal cramps. Symptom onset was ~10 h after diners ate Christmas meals at a restaurant between 7-9 December 2018. A retrospective case-control study, environmental and microbiological investigations were undertaken to determine the source and control the outbreak.

Limiting worker exposure to highly pathogenic avian influenza a (H5N1): a repeat survey at a rendering plant processing infected poultry carcasses in the UK.

Background: Current occupational and public health guidance does not distinguish between rendering plant workers and cullers/poultry workers in terms of infection risk in their respective roles during highly pathogenic avian influenza poultry outbreaks. We describe an operational approach to human health risk assessment decision making at a large rendering plant processing poultry carcasses stemming from two separate highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) outbreaks in England during 2007.

Methods: During the first incident a uniform approach assigned equal exposure risk to all rendering workers in or near the production line.

Legionnaires' disease cluster linked to a metal product aqueous pre-treatment process, Staffordshire, England, May 2008.

In May 2008, a report of two workers from the same construction equipment manufacturing plant who were admitted to hospital with Legionnaires disease confirmed by urine antigen prompted an outbreak investigation. Both cases were middle aged men, smokers, and with no travel, leisure or other common community exposure to Legionella sources. There were no wet cooling towers at the plant or in the surrounding area.

An outbreak of Escherichia coli O157 gastroenteritis in a care home for the elderly.

In the summer of 2001 an outbreak of Escherichia coli O157 gastroenteritis affected staff and residents of a care home for the elderly in the West Midlands, UK. E. coli O157 phage type 2 was isolated from faeces in eight patients and 12 staff members.

Rationalizing rationing in health care: experience of two primary care trusts.

Background: Priority setting, or rationing, in healthcare is an unavoidable consequence of competing demands on the resources available. This is a description of the experience of the two Primary Care Trusts in using an explicit scoring tool to prioritize proposals submitted for new funding within the local health economy.

Methods: A Priorities Forum Panel was established, comprising representatives from the local NHS trusts.

Winter emergency pressures for the NHS: contribution of respiratory disease, experience in North Staffordshire district.

The rise in emergency medical admissions in winter in the NHS hospitals in the United Kingdom has been recognized to reflect respiratory and cardiovascular illness. In our study we looked at the contribution of respiratory disease to the winter pressures in our district. Respiratory disease related emergency admissions increased twofold in the winter months, with obvious implications for workload.