ENVIRONMENTAL Health chiefs in South Ribble have launched an investigation into the spread of a 'particularly nasty' virus that is sweeping through the population.

The council has taken the unprecedented step of asking anyone who has suffered from the Campylobacter virus to fill in a questionnaire in a bid to discover the source of infection.

Symptoms of the illness - which causes diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and flu-like symptoms - have also been publicised in the council's Forward newsletter.

A council spokesman, based at West Paddock, Leyland, said the illness comes from a form of bacteria normally found in poultry, cattle and wild birds.

He said: "It is quite a nasty illness which we are trying to combat.

"In South Ribble alone we are expecting at least 100 cases this summer, which is very high for this area.

"Early indications from the questionnaire indicate most of the cases are related to milk, from bottles which birds have pecked on the doorstep.

"People involved in watersports, or those who eat food from a barbecue also seem to be particularly at risk."

Even seemingly safe activities such as gardening or tending to a pond can put people at risk. The council, in consultation with local doctors, has now drawn up a checklist to help locals stay healthy during the summer. The spokesman added: "Asking the milkman to cover milk on the doorstep can reduce chances of the infection spreading.

"We also advise people to be especially hygienic when cooking outdoors and make sure they always wash their hands after gardening."

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