The CIEH has called for E.coli to become a notifiable disease on a par with malaria, following another serious outbreak.
Doctors need not report E.coli cases and only do so voluntarily. Although food poisoning in general is notifiable, no distinction is made between E.coli and other bacteria such as salmonella.
The CIEH has said that E.coli should be included under the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 1998, which would give doctors a statutory duty to inform the local authority, primary care trust or health protection unit.
CIEH Principal Policy Officer Jenny Morris said:
“The forms of E.coli, such as 0157, that can cause serious ill health should be notifiable. The CIEH believes that we should be looking at widening the notifiable disease system. This would allow us to pick things up early, to act early and prevent others falling ill.”
There was 950 reported cases of E.coli in 2008, a rise of 120 over the previous year, according to the Health Protection Agency.