Infections: introduction
Infectious disease is relevant to all of the Scottish population at some point in their lives, from childhood vaccinations to food poisoning. New infectious agents bring new risks to health, such as Covid-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (vCJD) and infections related to medical devices.
Public Health Scotland (PHS) has taken over the functions formerly provided by Health Protection Scotland. PHS provides support and advice to protect the public from being exposed to hazards which damage their health, and to limit any impact on health when such exposures cannot be avoided. PHS provides information on a wide range of infectious diseases, including:
- Blood-borne viruses such as those responsible for AIDS, HIV and Hepatitis B and C.
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhoea and genital herpes.
- Gastrointestinal infections and zoonoses (diseases spread through contact with animals) such as infections due to salmonella, E. coli, campylobacter and cryptosporidium.
- Immunisation and vaccine-preventable diseases, including vaccines such as MMR (measles, mumps and rubella vaccine) or diseases like mumps and chickenpox.
- Respiratory infections such as influenza, tuberculosis, meningitis and SARS.
- Healthcare associated infections (HAIs) and infection control, including the threat of anti-microbial resistance, surveillance of healthcare-associated infections, meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), infection prevention and control and decontamination.
- Environmental health as it relates to food, water, biological and chemical agents.
- Travel health, including malaria and travel vaccinations. (For additional information, see also the TRAVAX website and Fit for Travel website.)
Information on specific areas can be obtained from the A to Z topic list on the PHS website. In addition, the Sexual health and Immunisations sections of the ScotPHO website also provide information on sexually transmitted infections and immunisation programmes respectively.
