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News Desk
Londoners are being warned to take extra care when handling packed chicken from supermarkets, with reports that CAMPYLOBACTER the virus that causes diarrhoea accompanied by nausea and vomiting is on the rise. According to research carried out Birmingham city council, CAMPYLOBACTER is found in over 40 per cent of chicken packs, with the chicken inside the pack containing the bacteria in 35 per cent of the cases.
Preventative measures against the virus involve washing hands after handling chicken cartons.
CAMPYLOBACTER is the most common form of food poisoning and is believed to be responsible for over 300,000 cases a year, but can be prevented if food is well cooked and hand washing.
Shoppers are also being warned that shopping trolley handles, shopping bags can also be sources of the bacteria.
The Food Standards Agency said:
"Tackling the high levels of CAMPYLOBACTER on UK chicken is the Food Standards Agency's number one priority".
"We are working with the food industry to minimise the spread of this bug at all stages of the food chain, from improved hygiene in farms to better leak proof packaging in shops".
More about CAMPYLOBACTER - from www.medic8.com
Some people who are infected with Campylobacter don't have any symptoms at all.
In people with compromised immune systems, Campylobacter occasionally spreads to the bloodstream and causes a serious life-threatening infection.
How common is Campylobacter?
Campylobacter is one of the most common bacterial causes of diarrhoeal illness. Virtually all cases occur as isolated, sporadic events, not as a part of large outbreaks.
Campylobacteriosis (campylobacter infection) occurs much more frequently in the summer months than in the winter.
The organism is isolated from infants and young adults more frequently than from other age groups and from males more frequently than females.
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