Posted: April 7th, 2011 - 2:10pm
Source: The National

DUBAI -- Surveillance and investigation methods relating to food-borne illnesses will be stepped up through a partnership between the municipality, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).

A new manual compiled by the municipality's food control department features guidelines for all hospitals to follow in tracking and recording food poisoning cases.

The guide is with CDC for final revisions and should be released soon, said Khalid Mohammed Sharif, the department's director. "Once that task is complete we will move towards implementation," he said.

The municipality is also pushing for a unified database that will detail minute aspects of each case, including the type of bacteria and the point of, and reason for, any contamination. There is no accurate information available because a dedicated system is not yet in place, Mr Sharif said.