High attack rate in a large care home outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86, East of England, August 2023.

We investigated an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.2.86 in an East of England care home.

A rapid evidence appraisal of influenza vaccination in health workers: An important policy in an area of imperfect evidence.

Introduction: The World Health Organization recommends vaccination of health workers (HWs) against influenza, but low uptake is intransigent.We conducted a on: the risk of influenza in HWs, transmission risk from HWs to patients, the benefit of HW vaccination, and strategies for improving uptake. We aimed to capture a 'whole-of-system' perspective to consider possible benefits for HWs, employers and patients.

Vaccine acceptance: the UK perspective.

The United Kingdom has had a long history with vaccine acceptability dating back to Edward Jenner's theory of small pox vaccination. More recently, the discredited, Wakefield study published in 1998 continues to cause MMR skepticism. In pregnant women pertussis vaccination has been considerably more successful than influenza vaccination.

Food-related norovirus outbreak among people attending two barbeques: epidemiological, virological, and environmental investigation.

Background: Norovirus (NoV) is commonly associated with gastrointestinal infection. It is normally transmitted person-to-person or from contaminated surfaces, although food-borne transmission is possible.

Methods: We conducted environmental, epidemiological, and microbiological investigations to ascertain the route of transmission of two linked outbreaks of NoV associated with events where food was consumed.

An outbreak of Salmonella enteritidis phage type 34a infection associated with a Chinese restaurant in Suffolk, United Kingdom.

Background: On 30th July 2002, the Suffolk Communicable Disease Control Team received notifications of gastrointestinal illness due to Salmonella Enteritidis in subjects who had eaten food from a Chinese restaurant on 27th July. An Outbreak Control Team was formed resulting in extensive epidemiological, microbiological and environmental investigations.

Methods: Attempts were made to contact everybody who ate food from the restaurant on 27th July and a standard case definition was adopted.