Health Protection
Posts about the work of the Health Protection directorate
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 …
Visiting a farm is an enjoyable and educational experience for the whole family, but it carries a risk of infection from animals or the environment. Farm animals may carry germs that can be passed from animals to humans and cause …
To help you stay safe this spring and summer, we've compiled a guide to protecting yourself from tick-borne infections. In this blog, you'll learn how to avoid tick bites, how to recognise the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease and TBE and when to seek medical assistance.
In this blog post, we take a look at the current status of vector-borne diseases in the UK, as well as the vital work being carried out by our specialist entomology team to assess, understand and address the health threats that mosquitoes and ticks pose.
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.
This blog covers the risk factors for syphilis, its signs and symptoms, and how it can be prevented.
In this blog, Dr Mike Reynolds, Principal Scientist within the Emerging Infections and Zoonoses team, dives into the daily work he and his colleagues do to keep you safe.
This blog post explains what UKHSA’s asymptomatic avian influenza surveillance programme is and how it works.
Many people who have hepatitis are unaware they have the infection, because the viruses can be symptomless. This means they aren’t getting the treatments they need and are possibly passing the virus on to others without knowing.
One year on from the mpox outbreak, this blog reflects on 7 things we have learned.