Guidelines for researching group infections associated with food, drinking water, or animals. Published in June 2023 (Icelandic)
Annexes from the guidelines:
-Automatic translation
In Act No 93/1995 on food, Act No 19/1997 on Health Security and Communicable Diseases, and Regulation No 1048/2011 on zoonoses, there are provisions on the roles and responsibilities of the Chief Epidemiologist, the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority, and the local health control when foodborne diseases occur.
Health Security and Communicable Diseases Act No 19/1997 and Regulation No 221/2012
The Health Security and Communicable Diseases Act deals with diseases and pathogens that can cause epidemics, threaten public health, and other serious susceptible epidemics. Diseases include illnesses or infections caused by infectious agents, microbes, or parasites and severe health consequences of toxins and radioactive substances. The law also covers unusual and unexpected events that can have serious health consequences among the people of the world.
It is stipulated in Regulation No 221/2012, on reporting for epidemic prevention, which infectious diseases or diseases caused by toxins and radioactive substances are subject to registration and which diseases are subject to notification. Of the communicable diseases subject to notification, those diseases that may threaten public health are those subject to registration. The Chief Epidemiologist is responsible for keeping an infectious disease registry, which covers diseases and pathogens, and the register supports epidemiologic work and epidemiological research.
According to Article 5 of the Health Security and Communicable Diseases Act, the Chief Epidemiologist must keep an infectious disease register to monitor the spread of infectious diseases by collecting detailed information on their diagnosis from laboratories, hospitals, and doctors.
Article 11 says: The minister appoints a special cooperation committee to gather the necessary data and supervise the necessary actions to assess and eradicate the risk of infection or danger caused by animals, food, activities, water, sewage pipes, ventilation, or other things in the environment that can spread infectious pathogens, toxins or radioactive substances that threaten human health. [...] The committee shall instruct all those who supervise animals, food, and the environment to take, without delay, all necessary measures to eradicate the danger caused by infection, toxins, or radioactive substances. In other respects, the implementation shall be by this law and, as applicable, special laws on individual supervisory bodies.
According to Article 12, the Chief Epidemiologist must conduct an epidemiological investigation into the source of infection in case of group infections or epidemics that threaten human health, and in such cases, has authorised access to necessary data and all places he deems necessary to inspect and can obtain the assistance of the police for this purpose. If necessary.
Article 14 deals with actions due to the risk of the spread of infection from individuals. The Chief Epidemiologist must take measures to prevent or control the spread of infection that may threaten the public good. Actions mean medical examination, isolation of the infected person in the hospital, and other necessary measures.
Act No 93/1995 on food, Article 30c
The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority shall coordinate actions according to this law when there is an acute or severe food infection, food poisoning, or other disaster of a similar nature. The local health committees must immediately notify the Food Agency of such cases, and the agency must, after consultation with the relevant health committee, decide on the necessary measures. The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority and health committee employees must also report such cases to the appropriate district epidemiologist and the Chief Epidemiologist, cf. Paragraphs 4 and 5 Article 4 and paragraph 1 Article 11 Act, No 19/1997.
Regulation No 1048/2011 on the monitoring zoonoses, Article 9
The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority shall investigate outbreaks of foodborne diseases, i.e. in collaboration with the Chief Epidemiologist and the local health committees. At the same time, the organisation shall coordinate actions according to this regulation when foodborne diseases or other disasters of a similar nature occur. Closer cooperation and division of labour between the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority and other organisations shall be stipulated in a joint response plan to foodborne diseases. The study must provide information on epidemiological characteristics, which foods are possibly involved and possible causes. As far as possible, the study shall include adequate epidemiological and microbiological studies. The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority shall send a summary report to the EFTA Surveillance Authority on the results of the investigations carried out and with the information referred to in Annex III, Part E.
The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority
The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority's website
E-mail: mast@mast.is
Notifications/tips
Information on the names and e-mail addresses of employees
The Chief Epidemiologist and the District Physicians
Infectious diseases, prevention and vaccinations at the Directorate of Health
E-mail: svl@landlaeknir.is
Information about Food-borne infections and food poisoning (zoonoses)
Health control area and health control
Information about the distribution of health control areas on a map, websites and phone numbers can be found on the website of the Association of Health Control Areas in Iceland.
The main foodborne diseases in humans (Icelandic)
-Automatic translation
What did you eat or drink that you think caused the illness?
Ask about side dishes, spices, and more
Did you or someone else take a picture of the food?
Where and when did you eat?
Date and time
When did you first get symptoms?
Date and time
What symptoms do you have or did you get?
When did the symptoms end?
Date and time
Did you eat alone or with others, and how many?
What foods did other people eat?
Did you get sick again?
Then get information about names, gender, age, phone, and email address
Have you been to primary healthcare or had a stool sample taken?
Research results?
If not, provide information that sampling may occur.
Are others you associate with ill?
Children in kindergarten?
What else have you eaten?
Gather information about consumption earlier in the day and 1-2 days before the person fell ill, even a few days before - depending on the symptoms and likely infectious agent.
How was the food you ate/drank?
Hot, cold, raw, cooked through, smell
Have you been abroad?
If yes, then where and when?
Are there leftovers from the food that you suspect may have caused your illness?
If yes, store the food (in the refrigerator or freezer) until later.
Have you associated with animals?
Do you take medication, and do you have a compromised immune system?
Can other organisations be given information about things that concern you and your symptoms?
Detailed information on epidemiological studies
Service provider
Directorate of Health