Hi Sarah
There is no evidence that asymptomatic stool sampling is effective, see the NHS plus guidelines P17 for evidence, it is attached. Questionnaires are routinely completed after travel and samples are in the 2nd document I have attached. It sounds as if his opinion is from outdated practice.
Regards
Karen
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sarah Witwicka
Sent: 23 November 2011 12:37
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [OCC-HEALTH] Stool specimens from food handlers?
Hi all
I'm putting my hands up now; I have no idea about this one, hence my asking all of you. I have no shame. If my question makes any one of you laugh out loud, I've not got a problem with it.
Anyhoo, I had a conversation with the head of catering here yesterday. He thinks that any/every food handler working here should be required to provide a stool specimen on their return from annual leave if they have travelled outside of the EU. I'm talking regardless if they come back fit and healthy; they should still be required to provide a stool sample. I was quite shocked, I have to say. I said: we don't do that here. Their retort was something along the lines of "there's quite a lot of things you don't do here...".
After much googling I came across a document on the web that looked military in origin saying something along the lines of testing civillian food handlers' stools on return from travel as a routine practice. I then called the head of catering and asked him if he was ex-military. He said he wasn't, but has a strong background in the commercial food industry. He also said that he would send me something on the subject, but hasn't as yet.
My question is: has ANYONE come across this sort of practice as standard? Is it written in to a food handlers' contract that they do this? How?
S :-)
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