The Chief Medical Officer issued health advice for farm visits by children last year, which was sent to all directors of public health and consultants in communicable disease control. Also in 2000, the Health and Safety Executive in collaboration with the Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food revised guidance to farmers, farm workers and teachers on avoiding ill health at open farms. Further information produced by Government is also given to vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, on how to avoid infection from various zoonotic diseases, including E. coli O157. The Food Standards Agency has recently issued guidance on avoiding the risks from camping and picnicking on fields used for grazing animals. The group are expected to report a programme of practical steps later in the year that can be taken forward to further reduce the risk of infection from E. coli O157.
All laboratories voluntarily notify all infections as part of an agreed reporting protocol.
Prescribing certain classes of antibiotics for E. coli infection may increase the risk of severe kidney disease and CMO Update 27 alerted medical practitioners to this in August 2000. The figures are estimates, rounded to the nearest 10,000, as some health authorities failed to return data in one or more of the years. The prescription pricing authority processes low-income scheme claims for Great Britain. The number for England has been estimated from a sample. We are not able to disaggregate the costs of providing these services to show whether or not the service-user in any case has been a victim of abuse in care.