Teams: Health Protection

A communicable disease is one that is spread from one person to another through a variety of ways that includes: contact with blood and bodily fluids; breathing in an airborne virus; or by being bitten by an insect.

Examples of communicable, or infectious, diseases include hepatitis, polio, influenza, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. These diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites are capable of spreading among people through the air, blood and other bodily fluids.

Reporting of cases of communicable disease is important in the planning and evaluation of disease prevention and control programs, in the assurance of appropriate medical therapy, and in the detection of common-source outbreaks.

Immunisation helps protect against serious diseases such as flu, measles, mumps, whooping cough, meningitis, and polio.

Immunisation is a way of protecting against serious diseases. Once we have been immunised, our bodies are better able to fight these diseases if we come into contact with them.

The ‘Routine Childhood Immunisation Programme' offers vaccinations for children aged up to 18 years.  This includes vaccinations against Pertussis (Whooping Cough), Tetanus, Diphtheria and Polio, Meningitis-related illnesses and Septicaemia, Pneumococcal, HPV-associated cancers, Measles, Mumps and Rubella.

The ‘Non-routine Immunisations (all ages)' vaccinations offer protection against Tuberculosis (TB), Flu, HPV-associated cancers and travel-related diseases.

• Click here to view further immunisation about vaccines available and the diseases they fight.

Screening is the process of identifying people who appear healthy but may be at increased risk of a disease or condition.

There are a number of national screening programmes designed to detect early signs of a disease or condition and to provide referral and treatment where necessary.

Within Scotland this features:

• cancer screening (e.g. breast, bowel and cervical)
• pregnancy and newborn screening (e.g. communicable diseases, blood spot and newborn hearing)
• diabetic retinopathy screening (offered annually to anyone with diabetes aged 12+)
• abdominal aortic aneurysm screening (offered to men in their 65th year)

The Health Protection Team works closely with NHS Health Scotland and NHS National Services Division to support professionals and the public with information to promote informed choice within the national screening programmes.

• Click here to view further screening information.

Ticks & Lyme disease

The Health Protection team continues its progress to raise awareness of health issues relating to ticks and Lyme disease in the Outer Hebrides, at local, national and international levels.

A number of events have already been held aimed at general public and those with a specific-interest in this field, and work continues with national experts to reduce the problems caused by ticks throughout the Outer Hebrides.

The campaign has included partnership working with a wide range of practitioners involved in the public health aspects of ticks and Lyme disease including public health professionals, land management staff, ecologists, animal health professionals, environmental health professionals and clinicians.

Discussions continue to take place on aspects of prevention and awareness, what professionals need to know, tick ecology and management of the environment to reduce Lyme disease, and identifying priorities for future investigation and research.

In recent years, Isabell MacInnes, Health Protection Nurse, was announced as a cohort of just 150 recipients of a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship, which enabled her to further research interventions used to tackle the challenges associated with tick prevalence and the increase of Lyme Borreliosis.

Presentation Posters:

• The Tick Challenge: The Public Health response to Lyme disease in the Outer Hebrides
• The ‘Tick'-ing Time Bomb: The incidence of Lyme disease in the Outer Hebrides (2010-2017)

Leaflets & Posters

• Safe Tick Removal Card
• Ticks & Lyme Disease: Important health advice and basic precautions to help you and your family avoid tick bites
• Local Tick Remover Outlets
• Lyme Disease Poster (A4)

For further information email: isabell.macinnes@nhs.scot

Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

The Health Protection team continue to urge local pregnant women to obtain the Pertussis (Whooping Cough) vaccine to protect their babies against whooping cough to ensure their babies are protected from the disease during the vulnerable first two months of life.

The vaccine is available from GP practices and offered to women between their 16^th and 38^th week of pregnancy.

The Pertussis campaign was issued by NHS Western Isles in response to an increase in cases of Pertussis in Scotland, with the rate in infants under one year of age almost doubling. Half of all infants affected were babies aged two months or under.

Most at risk are babies under two months of age who have no natural protection against whooping cough and are too young to be immunised directly. For these babies, the disease is very serious and can lead to pneumonia and permanent brain damage. Babies have already died in the UK because of this. Protection can only be given to babies under two months of age through vaccination of their mum in pregnancy.

• Click here to find out more.  

Schools and childcare settings

The Health Protection Team provides guidance and advice to help schools and nurseries manage the risks presented from communicable diseases effectively.

Infections are notifiable, meaning that the Health Protection Team must be told about them. The notification to Public Health usually comes from GP practices, but anyone can contact the Team to raise a concern.

These include conditions that used to be common such as mumps, measles, rubella (German measles) and pertussis (whooping cough), and some conditions less commonly seen in the UK such as poliomyelitis, meningococcal disease and tuberculosis. 

Children who attend school whilst suffering the early stages of infectious diseases can quickly spread them amongst their fellow pupils and staff members.

If you are unsure about whether to let us know about a child with suspected infectious disease, just contact the Team and we can provide you with advice and guidance.

Seasonal messages

Flu (Influenza)

The NHS Western Isles (NHSWI) influenza film campaign is aimed at supporting Scottish Government’s national efforts at reducing flu-like illnesses by raising local general awareness around flu, and its possible complications, and highlighting the importance for those most at risk to receive their flu vaccination.

Any strain of flu, can be dangerous for people who are more vulnerable to it which is why groups eligible for flu vaccination are urged to get the free flu vaccine as soon as possible if they have not already done so. The flu vaccine is the best available protection against this unpredictable virus.

The flu vaccine is available from October through to the end of March for everyone aged 65 and over, pregnant women, everyone with serious health condition, and all health care workers, and is the best defence against the most common types of flu circulating.

It is also offered to all primary school children, as well as children aged 2-5 years who are not yet in primary school. Children in secondary school are not currently included in the programme. However, children of all ages with a serious health condition will be offered the flu vaccine from 6 months of age.

• Click here to view further information about Flu. 

Norovirus

Norovirus, also called the “winter vomiting bug", is a stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhoea. It can be very unpleasant, but usually goes away in about 2 days.

Feeling sick (nausea) is usually the first symptom. This is followed by diarrhoea which tends to be watery. You may also start being sick (vomiting) around the same time. Sometimes there are other symptoms such as:

• a high temperature (fever)
• a headache
• aching muscles in your arms and legs.

The symptoms tend to be relatively mild and short-lived, often only lasting one to two days. However, in a few people symptoms can last longer.

If symptoms are severe, lack of fluid in the body (dehydration) can occur. You should consult a doctor quickly if you suspect that you or your child are becoming dehydrated. Mild dehydration is common and is usually easily reversed by drinking lots of fluids.

Norovirus can spread very easily.  You can catch norovirus from:

• close contact with someone with norovirus
• touching surfaces or objects that have been touched by someone with norovirus
• eating food that has been prepared or handled by someone with norovirus

Washing your hands frequently with soap and water is the best way to stop it spreading. Alcohol hand gels don't kill norovirus. 

• Click here to view our Norovirus leaflet.

Summer Safety (BBQ and food safety)

The Health Protection team works in partnership with Environmental Health to provide awareness on how to store and cook your food safely during summer to reduce the risk of food poisoning.

Warm weather and outdoor cooking can produce the right conditions for the bacteria which cause food poisoning.  To prevent food poisoning, it is recommended that the public should follow the 4C's of food hygiene:

• chilling
• cleaning
• cooking
• cross-contamination
• For further information visit the Food Standards Agency.