Prevention of Gastroenteritis

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

| A |

| B |

| C |

| D |

| E |

| F |

| G |

| H |

| I |

| J |

| K |

| L |

| M |

| N |

| O |

| P |

| Q |

| R |

| S |

| T |

| U |

| V |

| W |

| X |

| Y |

Routine hygiene measures in the home help to prevent infections that can cause gastroenteritis. Wash your hands after using the toilet, gardening, and playing with pets. Wash them before eating and before preparing food. When cooking and storing food, keep raw meat separate from cooked and ready to eat foods, and make sure raw meat cannot drip on to other foods in your fridge.

Prevent gastroenteritis spreading among other household members by regularly cleaning toilets and using disinfectant to wipe the handle and seat after each use by the infected person. Do not share towels or flannels or allow them to prepare food for others, and keep them away from school or work until at least 24 hours after the last diarrhoea or vomiting episode, to avoid infecting others.

Food poisoning is a notifiable disease in the UK. This means your GP has to inform the local authority about your case so that they can investigate the cause and ensure action is taken, for example to improve hygiene procedures in a restaurant to prevent it happening again. The local authority has the power to close food outlets down (including restaurants, pubs and shops) or to prosecute the owner for inadequate food hygiene standards.