Tara Parker-Pope

This week I was doing my usual scour of the internet and I came across a blog called Well on the New York Times website. Well is written by Tara Parker-Pope and the entry which particularly caught my eye, for obvious reasons, was her experience of Norovirus.

If you’ve got a spare few minutes then I would recommend you read the entry (just click here). But if you are short of time, then here are the footnotes.

What this entry does well is demonstrate the severity of Norovirus in a way that most people can relate to. Basically, Tara’s home had become overcome with Norovirus after she first picked it up. Subsequently her daughter fell ill with the virus. The entry goes into great detail about their symptoms – cramping, sickness, and diarrhoea. Naturally, as any parent would, Tara felt an element of guilt at not preventing the spread of the virus to her daughter. Unfortunately that is the problem with Norovirus once you have caught it; it is extremely likely that the people around you – including loved ones – will contract it as well.

In this situation, Tara did everything correctly. She kept her little girl off school, cancelled their weekend plans and did a thorough deep clean of her house once well. Norovirus can be horrific and there is little you can do to ease the symptoms or stop any potential spread.

Source: www.celeb9.com

The Welsh beauty, Katherine Jenkins has failed to hit the high note, after being struck down by the Norovirus stomach bug.  She sadly had to cancel several engagements, including the iTunes concert in London.

She apologised to her fans via her Twitter page from her sick bed saying she still felt “pretty awful”, but that a “hospital visit last night has made a big difference”. Normally a picture of health and an avid gym-goer, Katherine has swapped her ball gowns for her pyjamas in a bid to recuperate, showing us all that anyone can get struck down by the Norovirus.

Get well soon Katherine.

Source: www.hajjumrah.pk

Each year more than 25,000 British Muslims travel to Mecca for Hajj, a ten day ritual which is due to start between 25-30 November.

This is an extremely important event in the Islamic religious calendar. So we have put together some top tips to ensure that any pilgrims travelling to Mecca and Medina this year, can do so without the worry of contracting a food related illness or coming down with swine flu:

• All visitors should carry disinfectant gels and/or tissues, which should be used often especially for use after handling items or objects in public areas.
• If possible, minimize the amount of time spent in large congregations, as swine flu and Norovirus are both airborne bacteria. If necessary wear masks when in large congregations, which is inevitable during prayer time and carrying out the ritual of Hajj.
• Visiting UK pilgrims should consult their doctor prior to their visit for any required vaccinations and perhaps precautionary medicine to be supplied, such as TAMIFLU.
• Consume sufficient amounts of water to avoid experiencing dehydration during the conduction of the Hajj Rituals. Despite it being winter, the weather can still be rather warm.
• Pilgrims should only use bottled water purchased from approved and appropriate suppliers and avoid any drinks with ice.
• Do not purchase or consume food from unknown local shops or street vehicles and only rely on food and drinks sourced from the hotel accommodation and appropriate large chain super markets.
• While it is part of the ritual to wash your hands before prayer, we would recommend washing your hands as often as possible.
• If you are unlucky enough to become ill, showing symptoms of a high temperature and other gastric related symptoms, then isolate yourself for at least for four days.

With summer now upon us, the dusty BBQs are being dragged from the garden shed, the tongs are being sharpened and, in time-honoured tradition, sausages are preparing to be burnt.

But, how far down the checklist does hygiene fall when you are preparing a BBQ for family and friends? Nine out of ten cases of food poisoning in the home occurs at BBQs. And, while most expect a sore head from a beverage or two, no one wants to wake up with food poisoning.

Here we serve up some advice on how to avoid contracting, and causing, a nasty case of food poisoning this summer:

• Throw a shrimp on the barbie… King prawns and other seafood alternatives, are taking over the humble burger as the king of the BBQ grill. But, this soar in popularity means that more care needs to be taken in the cooking process. Undercooked shellfish can be extremely dangerous and is one of the main sources of Campylobacter, also known as the barbecue bug, which can cause headaches, dizziness, fevers, stomach pains and diarrhoea. Make sure it is hot all the way through before serving this fishy favourite to your guests.
• Burnt doesn’t mean cooked…. It is an art form that has been passed down through the generations from one BBQ chef to another – how to burn the banger. But, just because it is burnt doesn’t mean that it is cooked. If you do get served a sausage that is pink in the middle, graciously refuse it. If you don’t, then you could live to regret it when you contract Salmonella and experience fever, vomiting and stomach pains.
• Green for all the wrong reasons…. Five per cent of mixed raw vegetable salads in the UK are contaminated with Listeria, which can be particularly dangerous for pregnant women as it can cause a miscarriage. Make sure that any fruit and vegetables served are washed thoroughly, even pre-prepared packs, before dishing it up for your guests.
• 30-minute rule… Where possible, food should be served immediately after it has been cooked. Food that has been kept warm can be a breeding ground for bacteria and can lead to infections such as the Norovirus, resulting in stomach cramps and aching limbs. By sticking to the 30 minute rule – will what I’m cooking be consumed in the next 30 minutes? – then not only will you reduce the risk of serving up a dash of Norovirus with the food but, will also cut down on wastage.
• Cooked – raw divide… After you’ve stocked up on supplies for the BBQ always store raw meats at the bottom of the fridge so that the juices cannot drip onto other fresh food and contaminate it. The same should be applied when physically handling fresh meat. Germs, such as the E-Coli bacteria, can easily move from your hands and then onto anything else you touch, including plates, cooking utensils and other food. Simple steps such as washing your hands every time you handle raw meat, using separate utensils for cooked and fresh produce, and never putting cooked food on a plate which has had raw meat on, can help to minimise the risks.

120,000 cases of food poisoning were reported in the summer of 2008, but by following a few simple precautions people can reduce the risks.

After weeks of controversy and talks of sabotage on Blumental’s restaurant, The Fat Duck, the results have come back from the tests carried out by a Government health watchdog finding that the cause of the illness was Norovirus, aka winter vomiting bug.

According to The Times, six of Heston’s staff were infected with the highly contagious illness. It is essential that if you are unfortunate enough to contract the bug you wait at least two days until after all the symptoms have gone, before returning to work ESPECIALLY if you work with food.

Let’s hope that the staff involved know better for next time. Getting your place of work closed for two weeks and costing your boss £160,000 will certainly not win you employee of the month!

According to reports, 80 students studying at Cambridge University have been struck down by a mysterious vomiting bug. Symptoms include: stomach cramps, fever, diarrhoea and projectile vomiting – all consistent with the Norovirus.

Students have been advised to isolate themselves, to prevent the illness spreading, if they are feeling unwell, wash their hands regularly and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Cambridge City Council’s environmental health officers have been called in and are investigating into the outbreak. Without drawing on all student stereotypes, let’s hope this outbreak makes them think a little more about hygiene, both personal and food related.