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Health Protection

Posts about the work of the Health Protection directorate

What is cryptosporidium, and how can you avoid it in the water or on the farm?

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Cryptosporidium parvum protozoa positive (red sphere shape) in human stool smear

Cryptosporidium [pronounced krip-toe-spuh-RID-ee-um] is a microscopic parasite that can cause an unpleasant – and sometimes dangerous – illness called cryptosporidiosis. This nasty bug lives in the intestines of infected humans and animals and is passed out in their poo. It …

How GPs help us monitor the spread of flu and the effectiveness of vaccines

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Close up of a female clinician's hands holding cotton swab and test tube.

Established in 1957, the Royal College of GPs Research and Surveillance Centre is one of Europe's oldest general practice sentinel networks. It is an active research and surveillance unit that collects and monitors data from over 2000 practices across England and Wales.

The RCGP collaborates with the University of Oxford, and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in the running of the RSC, and in this blog we will explore the importance of surveillance data how it underpins our understanding of our health across the nation.