(Salt Lake City, UT)
Next time you think something you ate may have made you sick, you’re
encouraged to visit the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) food-related illness
website, igotsick.health.utah.gov. This online self-reporting system allows the
general public to report illnesses that may be related to food they consumed at
home, in a restaurant, or at a group gathering, etc.
The system was developed to make it faster and easier for
the general public to securely notify Utah public health professionals of
potential foodborne illnesses and relevant exposures. “Rapid detection of
foodborne illnesses and identifying common sources are essential to timely
investigation and reducing foodborne outbreaks,” said Allyn Nakashima, M.D.,
State Epidemiologist. The web-based reporting system is designed to capture
data from anyone who is ill and experiencing symptoms of foodborne illness,
since not everyone who becomes sick chooses to see a doctor.
All information submitted by users is confidential and will
automatically be sent to the appropriate local health department. The
information will be used by public health to determine whether food caused the
reported illness and where the food may have originated. The sooner public
health can receive the information and the more people they hear from, the more
likely it is public health is to detect an outbreak, launch an investigation
and stop it from spreading.
At igotsick.health.utah.gov, users can watch a brief video
showing how the system works and complete a form indicating where food was
consumed, what was eaten, and other potential high-risk exposures during the
time period just before becoming ill. The website can be used whether a person
lives in Utah, visited Utah, or traveled through Utah before getting sick. Health
care providers who see patients with complaints of diarrhea and vomiting are
encouraged to refer them to this website.
Foodborne illnesses can be serious. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that foodborne microorganisms cause 48
million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths each year.
Food can become contaminated when it is undercooked,
improperly washed, or accidentally contaminated during harvesting or
preparation. It can contain bacteria, viruses, or toxins. Contamination can
happen before food reaches a grocery store right up until serving time. And,
it’s possible for food to make a person sick even if it looks or tastes just
fine.
Foodborne bacteria, viruses, and toxins can cause infections
in the stomach and intestines that can lead to symptoms that include diarrhea,
vomiting, stomach pain, and fever. Sometimes, foodborne illnesses can have more
serious complications such as kidney failure, reactive arthritis (RA),
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and sepsis (infection of the blood). They can be
expensive if you have to miss work, school, or need to stay in the hospital.
For these reasons, public health officials encourage anyone
who may have contracted a foodborne illness to use the igotsick.health.utah.gov website to report their symptoms. Consumers can play an important role in
reducing their risk of foodborne illnesses.
For more information about igotsick.health.utah.gov, or foodborne illnesses, contact the Bureau of Epidemiology at 801-538-6191.
Media Contact:
Charla Haley
Risk Communications Coordinator
(o) 801-273-4178 (m) 801-230-5927
