Category: News Item

STEC in Scotland 2016 Health Protection Scotland (HPS) have published a surveillance report for “STEC in Scotland 2016: enhanced surveillance and reference laboratory date”. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), also known as Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC), are a group of bacteria which can cause gastrointestinal illness in humans.

Although large foodborne outbreaks have occurred in Scotland, sporadic infection predominates. The potential for E. coli O157 to cause both secondary spread and large outbreaks is exacerbated by its low infectious dose and asymptomatic infection can also occur.

Reported rates of Escherichia coli O157 (E. coli O157) infection in Scotland rose substantially in the mid-1990s and remain consistently high compared to other countries within the UK and Europe.

HPS undertake enhanced surveillance of STEC in close collaboration with the Scottish E.coli 0157/VTEC Reference Laboratory (SERL) and NHS board health protection teams. Data are also integrated with other surveillance systems, in particular ObSurv, the system for the surveillance of all general outbreaks of infectious intestinal disease.

Diagnostic laboratories investigate all diarrhoeal faeces for the presence of E. coli O157 and refer isolates to the SERL for confirmation and further typing. STEC of serogroup O157 are the only STEC for which routine standard tests are performed in diagnostic laboratories. Under national guidelines, faeces from high-risk patients testing negative at the local laboratory are sent to SERL where more sensitive methods are used for detection and isolation of STEC.

The number of E. coli O157 cases reported in Scotland increased slightly in 2016 with 181 faecal positive cases notified to HPS in 2016 compared to 170 reported in 2015. This was in keeping with the expected year-to-year variation.

The 181 positive cases ranged from under one to over 80 years old and children under ages 16 accounting for 33% of cases.

As in most years, cases tend to peak in the summer months. Most infections occurred in the second and third quarters of the year, with 73% of cases occurring in this time period.

The majority of cases in 2016 were apparently sporadic cases, which has been historically the case in Scotland. There was also five general outbreaks of STEC reported to ObSurv. This is similar to the number of STEC outbreaks reported in previous years, with five in 2015 and seven in 2014. All five outbreaks in 2016 were identified as serogroup O157. For three of the outbreaks the suspected mode of transmission was considered to be mainly foodborne, one was due to drinking untreated water and for one outbreak the mode of transmission was not confirmed.

Despite the variation in the number of cases seen annually, the consistently high rates of STEC infection reported in Scotland as compared to other UK countries reinforces the need for the continued and comprehensive application of the wide range of existing control measures embedded in food safety and other guidance in Scotland. In addition, it highlights the importance of a comprehensive multi-agency approach to tackling STEC in Scotland as set out in the VTEC Action Plan for Scotland. A multi-agency implementation group has been set up to deliver the recommendations within the Action Plan and is due to report in 2018.

The MET Office have published their third annual “State of the UK Climate” report which shows 2016 was the 13th warmest year with records starting back to 1910.

2016 has been 0.5oC warmer than average and the last decade 0.3oC warmer (1981-2010) over the UK as a whole and for many it was also sunny with sunshine levels 4% above the 30 year average (1981-2010) for the UK overall.

Mark McCarthy, Head of the Met Office’s National Climate Information Centre, said: “Although 2016 may not be regarded as remarkable for temperature, it does feature within a notable decade for temperature records. The trend towards warmer temperatures is clear, but of course natural variation in our climate will always mean that increases are not always even year on year.”

As far as UK precipitation is concerned the report shows that 2016 as a whole had 95% of expected rainfall. Winter 2016 was the second-wettest winter on record for the UK in records dating back to 1910, with winter 2014 wettest. In contrast, the second half of the year was notably dry.

December showed to be a mild month particularly in Scotland where anomalies exceeded 2.5oC making it comparably mild to December 2015. The number of days of air frost for the UK for 2016 was 50 days, which is 5 days below the 1981-2010 average. This was largely due to fewer frosts than normal in January and December, especially across Scotland.

Although we saw some snow during 2016 it was not a particularly snowy year for the UK overall and it was the first year on record from 1959 where there was no observed snow depths of 20 cm or more.

Figures show that in the past few decades there has been an increase in annual average rainfall over the UK, particularly over Scotland with the last decade 11% wetter than 1961–1990 average and 4% wetter than 1981-2010 average.

The report provides a summary of the UK weather and climate through the calendar year 2016 and is the third annual ‘State of the UK climate’ produced by the Met Office. It provides an accessible, authoritative and up-to-date assessment of UK climate trends, variations and extremes based on the latest available climate quality observational datasets.

The world’s first full-scale floating wind farm has started to take shape off the northeast coast of Scotland.

The revolutionary technology will allow wind power to be harvested in waters too deep for the current conventional bottom-standing turbines. The Peterhead wind farm, known as Hywind, is a trial, which will bring power to 20,000 homes.

Ministers in Scotland hope the project, which is owned by Norwegian oil group Statoil, will be one of several floating wind schemes off the Scottish coast that could open up waters previously considered too deep for offshore wind.

So far, one giant turbine is already been moved into place, while four more wait in readiness in a Norwegian fjord. By the end of the month they will all have been towed to 25 kilometres off Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.
The floating wind turbines have been developed by adapting “spar buoy” technology from the oil and gas industry- effectively giant cylinders used to support floating platforms. The spars have been filled with water and ballast to make sure the turbines remain upright. 78 metres of the structure are below the water and 175 metres rises above it and each turbine has three anchors attached to the seabed.

Each of the five turbines are designed to generate six megawatts of electricity and are expected to power 20,000 households from as early as October. Statoil also add that the output from the turbines is expected to equal or surpass generation from current ones.

This project has caught the interest of other countries including France, Japan and Portugal as conventional fixed bottom offshore farms can only be installed in shallower waters, typically less than 40 metres in depth.

However whether floating wind turbines move beyond this small pilot project will depend on cost. The £190 million cost for this project has been subsidised through a “Renewable Obligation Certificates” subsidy scheme- a type of funding for renewable electricity projects in the UK.

Floating turbines may create a new frontier for energy – but scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warn far more investment in additional new technologies is urgently needed for governments to keep promises on reducing emissions.

NHS Scotland have published new information to show how levels of obesity in Scotland have changed over time. The new analysis: ‘Obesity in Scotland: A Persistent Inequality’ also highlights how obesity levels differ according to socio-economic status.

The Scottish adult population as a whole has become heavier over time. The most recent figures for 2015 show that 28% of men and 29% of women aged 18–64 were obese. The proportion of overweight women in Scotland almost doubled over 20 years – from 31% in 1995 to 60% in 2015, the report found. In the same period, the level of overweight men jumped to 66% from 40%.

However, this increase in weight is not evenly distributed across society. The research, which used the most recent figures from 2015-16, found that people living in Scotland's most-deprived communities were more likely to be obese. For men, those living in the least deprived areas have the lowest obesity levels while levels are higher, but broadly similar, for men in all other areas. In contrast, obesity is progressively more common for women as deprivation increases.

In addition, the rate of children starting school in danger of becoming obese was 7% in the most affluent areas, but nearly double that at 13% for the least wealthy. This shows how early on in a child’s life inequalities in obesity appear.

Commenting on the research, Elaine Tod, Public Health Intelligence Advisor with NHS Health Scotland said “Obesity used to be more common amongst the richer in society as it was only those who could afford to eat well who became obese. This trend has reversed and we now see higher rates of obesity in those who are less well-off. The reasons for this are complex, including the affordability and availability of high fat, high sugar food in comparison with healthy food and the increasing popularity of more sedentary pastimes. What is clear is that action is needed to achieve both a population-wide decrease in obesity and to prevent obesity-related health inequalities widening further.”

Lorraine Tulloch, Programme Lead at Obesity Action Scotland added “This report clearly outlines that the most deprived in our society are suffering the greatest burden of obesity. It also highlights that focusing on actions individuals can take only worsens the inequalities gap. If we want to ensure we tackle the gap we need to see bold, ambitious action to change the food environment around us to ensure the healthy choice is the easy choice for everyone.”

 The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has launched an open consultation on its draft scientific opinion on Listeria monocytogenes contamination of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and the risk for human health in the EU.

This document summarises and critically evaluates the most recent information on L. monocytogenes in RTE foods, and evaluates the factors related to the contamination in the food chain and the consumption patterns that may contribute to the reported trend of listeriosis incidence in the EU.

Interested parties are invited to submit written comments by 29 September 2017 using the electronic template to submit comments.

All comments submitted will be published.

Comments submitted by individuals in a personal capacity will be presented anonymously.

Comments submitted formally on behalf of an organisation will appear with the name of the organisation.

Source: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/consultations/call/170724-0

The Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR) for Scotland’s latest annual report published on 27 July concludes that Scottish Water’s compliance with the stringent standards for drinking water in 2016 was extremely high at 99.91%.

The Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 requires DWQR to publish an annual report describing the Regulator’s activities during the preceding year. The report provides a summary of the quality of Scotland’s public water supply for 2016, as well as covering water quality events and incidents, consumer contacts to Scottish Water and DWQR activities throughout the year.

Scottish Water takes and analyses samples of drinking water from across Scotland 365 days a year. The report on Drinking Water Quality in Scotland 2016 Public Water Supply states that a total of 311,560 regulatory tests were carried out on Scotland’s drinking water last year. Of those taken from samples at consumers’ taps, 99.91% met the required standards. This was similar to 2015, and an improvement on 2002, the year Scottish Water was formed, when only 99.28% of tests complied.

During 2016, DWQR submitted a report to the Procurator Fiscal following investigations into drinking water quality incident from 2016, when over 6,000 properties in North Lanarkshire suffered restrictions on the use of their water following contamination of the supply. The investigation found deficiencies with Scottish Water’s operational processes and the case concluded earlier this year when Scottish Water pleaded guilty to the charge of supplying water unfit for human consumption.

The DWQR’s role is to ensure that drinking water supplies comply with regulatory requirements. In 2016, DWQR staff carried out 17 technical inspections and responded to 86 contacts from consumers. Of the 798 event notifications received from Scottish Water, most were classified as not significant, but 26 were declared incidents and investigated in more detail – these numbers represent a reduction on the 35 reported in 2015.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has invited scientists with expertise in food and feed safety related issues to apply to join its ten Scientific Panels and its Scientific Committee. The call for experts closes on 8 September 2017.

The EFSA Scientific Panels and the Scientific Committee are composed of 15-25 people and provide high-quality independent scientific advice for political decision-makers in Europe.

EFSA is looking for over 200 experts who will carry out scientific assessments and develop related assessment methodologies. The candidates should have a university degree and at least seven years of professional experience in the following disciplines: genetics, ecology, plant sciences, veterinary science, zoology, toxicology, nutrition, human medicine, biology, chemistry, mathematics/statistics/biostatistics, food/feed technology, pharmacology, exposure assessment, epidemiology and regulatory science.

They are also expected to be experienced in one or more of the following areas:

• developing guidance for scientific assessment

• generating, collecting and collating evidence

• performing scientific assessments

• writing and reviewing scientific documents

• communicating scientific outputs to different target audiences

• managing projects and chairing meetings

As a scientist you will be part of an international and interdisciplinary team contributing to food safety for millions of Europeans. Through EFSA’s active international cooperation efforts your work will have global relevance. Working at EFSA puts you at the centre of a scientific hub that provides access to European and international scientific networks.

Applications should be submitted by 8 September 2017 via the Experts’ EFSA webpage, which also provides more detailed information on the call.

Following concerns raised in the Netherlands about a substance called Fipronil, which has been used inappropriately in cleaning products on chicken farms, a number of contaminated eggs have been identified as being distributed to the UK from the farms affected. Fipronil is not authorised for use as a veterinary medicine or pesticide around food producing animals.

Although initially thought that the number of eggs involved was very small, it has now been established that more eggs from affected farms than originally reported have been imported into the UK. It is very unlikely these eggs pose any risk to public health, but Fipronil is unauthorised for use in food-producing animals in the UK.

The products affected are processed foods in which egg is one ingredient among many others, mostly used in sandwich fillings or other chilled foods. While in some European countries eggs containing Fipronil residues have been sold as fresh eggs, in the UK this is not the case. Many of the eggs involved were mixed with other eggs, which have not come from affected farms so Fipronil residues will be highly diluted. Some of the products made from these eggs will have had a short shelf life and will have already been consumed, however, some have been identified that were still within the expiry date. These are now being withdrawn by the businesses involved.

It is likely that the number of eggs that have come to the UK is closer to 700,000 than the 21,000 we were previously informed had been imported. Food Standards Scotland and the Food Standards Agency are committed to ensuring that food is safe. Initial information was that products containing affected eggs had not been distributed to Scotland, but as the number of affected eggs imported to the UK is greater than originally thought, it is possible that some products containing them may have been distributed here. However, as this represents 0.007% of the eggs consumed in the UK every year, it remains the case that it is very unlikely that there is any risk to public health from consuming these foods.

85% of the eggs we consume in the UK are laid here. There is no evidence that eggs laid in Scotland are contaminated or that Fipronil has been used inappropriately in Scotland. Testing of eggs in Scotland is underway and results will be published as soon as they are available by Food Standards Scotland.

London 2017: Norovirus Outbreak

Public Health England says 40 athletes and support staff at the World Athletics Championships in London have been affected by Norovirus, with three cases confirmed by laboratory testing.

Several competitors were forced to withdraw from events in the first half of the tournament after suffering symptoms including vomiting.

The athletes and support staff affected from the Botswanan, German, Canadian, Irish and Puerto Rican teams are thought to be staying at the same hotel.

Public Health England have been working closely with the London 2017 organisers and venues to provide infection control advice to limit the spread of illness.

A London business man has been found guilty of conspiring to defraud customers by adding horsemeat to batches of beef and relabelling them as pure beef.

Andronicos Sideras was convicted on Wednesday 25 July 2017 at Inner London Crown Court of mixing horsemeat and beef before selling it through his company Dino’s and Sons, following a three-week trial.

In 2013, the UK Food Standards Agency asked the City of London police to investigate the fraud, following the discovery of horsemeat in beefburgers by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

The investigation by the Police began in 2013 into the meat trading company Flexi Food, with UK offices in Hull, which was owned by Ulrik Nielsen, 58, of Gentofte, Denmark, and Alex Beech, 44, of Sutton-on-Hull. Both have previously pleaded guilty to their part in the conspiracy.

Flexi Foods passed vast amounts of meat through to Dino’s and Sons. During the searches of Flexi Foods company offices, both in Hull and Denmark, emails and other documents were uncovered confirming the conspiracy to deliberately introduce horsemeat into the food chain in order to increase company profits.

The investigations found that during 2012 Nielsen and Beech were buying horsemeat from Ireland and sourcing beef from Poland. This meat was then all delivered to Dino’s and Sons in Tottenham. It was here that they were mixed together and relabelled with fake labels, before being sent on to other firms as part of the horsemeat scandal.

The prosecutor, Jonathan Polnay, told the court that the fraud was a simple process. “In 2012, beef sold for around €3 [£2.60] a kilogram at wholesale prices. Horsemeat was cheaper. At the time, it sold for around €2 [£1.75] a kilogram.” Money was thus made by selling the mix as 100% beef.

Sideras was arrested in July 2013 and his fingerprints were found on pallet labels attached to a consignment of mixed horse and beef meat that had been intended for burgers but had been detained in Northern Ireland. These labels had been deliberately altered to make it look as though the load was 100% beef but when it was tested it was in fact about 30% horse. The load also contained microchips for one Irish and two Polish horses that had previously been owned as pets or riding horses. Their original owners had not been aware that they had been sold on for slaughter

DC Stephen Briars, the officer who led the case for the City of London police’s fraud squad said the case had been “unique and challenging”, adding: “This is a clear case of fraud. The fact that the case revolves around meat and the food chain makes no difference to this crime. A lie is a lie whatever the circumstances.”

City of London police worked with local authorities, the Food Standards Agency and the food industry to gather the evidence needed and inquiries spanned Denmark, Ireland, Poland, France, Holland and Italy.

Researchers from NHS Health Scotland and the Information Services Division of NHS National Services Scotland have published new analysis of Scotland’s health. The publication shows the extent to which different diseases affect Scotland’s health and life expectancy.

The researchers have used a globally recognised approach, referred to as ‘Burden of Disease’ to quantify the difference between the ideal of living to old age in good health, and the situation where healthy life is shortened by illness, injury, disability and early death. The analysis identifies the most common causes of disease burden in Scotland in 2015.

Ischaemic heart disease came top of the list, with 100,400 years lost to ill health and early death, followed by neck and lower back pain at 90,200 years and depression at 76,000 years. Lung condition chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was fourth with 60,700 years lost followed by lung cancer at 56,900 years. Overall, the report identifies 25 specific diseases, conditions and injuries, which accounted for almost 70% of the overall burden of disease in Scotland in 2015.

The Burden of Disease measure calculates the years of life lost because of early death combined with the years of good quality life lost because they are lived in less than ideal health. This results in one figure for each condition, known as the Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY).

This information will help planners and policy makers to focus on policies that could prevent these conditions, and the services needed to help people living with these conditions.

The report also analysed the gender differences. It found that women suffered a proportionally higher disease burden from lower back and neck pain, depression, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, migraine, arthritis and anxiety disorders, compared to men. Men, on the other hand, suffered a proportionately higher disease burden from ischaemic heart disease, suicide and self-harm related injuries, alcohol and drug use disorders, and chronic liver disease (including cirrhosis).

Age differences were also analysed. Adults aged 35 to 64 suffered 40% of the disease burden. Those aged 65 years and over experienced 45% of the disease burden. For those aged less than 65 years, around 60% of their burden is through living in less than ideal health.

Dr Diane Stockton, the study lead at NHS Health Scotland, said
“This set of studies provides the most accurate picture we have ever had of the impact of different diseases and conditions on the Scottish population. It is the first time that estimates of burden of disease have been calculated using the full range of sources of data available, specifically for Scotland.

There are more person-years of poor health lost due to neck and lower back pain than are lost are due to early heart disease deaths, and more person-years of poor health lost due to depression than lung cancer deaths. This is a stark reminder that living longer does not necessarily equate to healthy, happy life.
It is important to address the burden of living in less than ideal health so that more people in Scotland can live longer, healthier lives.”

Dr Ian Grant, Principal Researcher at Information Services Division, said
“Today’s report is just the beginning. Over the coming months we will be publishing further material to help support local planning and national decision making. This will include the likely impact of the ageing population, socio-economic analysis and analysis by local area. Arming planners and decision makers with this information will be a significant step forward in ensuring that services and policies are well targeted to the Scottish people.”

REHIS have shown support for an open letter signed by more than 70 organisations and individuals from the UK’s safety and health profession urging the prime minster to halt deregulation in light of the Grenfell Tower blaze.

Those signing argued that the health and safety regulations have been axed as matter of principle and a desire to blindly cut red tape. This, the letter argues, has led to a mind-set that even when it was recommended and accepted that mandatory fitting of sprinklers would make homes or schools safer, this was rejected in favour of non-regulatory action. ‘In practice, this approach favours inaction,’

The letter stated: ‘Good, well-evidenced and proportionate regulations in health and safety, based on full consultation, are developed and adopted because they save lives and protect people’s health and wellbeing.

‘They are not “burdens on business” but provide essential protection for the public from identifiable risks.

It added: ‘it is vital that this disaster marks a turning point for improved fire safety awareness and wider appreciation that good health and safety is an investment, not a cost.’

It urged the prime minister: ‘You have it in your power to remove immediately a further risk to people at work and outside of the workplace – unwise deregulation – which threatens public and worker safety.

‘We, leaders in health and safety in the UK, call on you to scrap the Government’s approach to health and safety deregulation and think again.

‘This could be announced immediately, it does not need to await the results of a public inquiry, and is the least that the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire deserve.’