What did this phone call about septicaemia really mean?

[UsernameInvalid66]

MIL was taken into hospital a couple of days ago following an accident at home that looked as if it was caused by fainting. They wanted to keep her in for a few days for tests.

DH went to see her today but she lives several hours away, so he is/has been driving all day and won't be back till late.

During the afternoon someone from the Public Health department phoned here while I was out. They spoke to DS, who's a typical young man, not great at taking coherent messages. The jist of it seems to have been that MIL has got septicaemia but they only really wanted to talk to DH. DS told them his mobile number but forgot to mention that he'd probably be driving and unable to answer his phone. He says they also asked whether the rest of us had been with MIL recently, which we haven't.

We had a call like this years ago when DS2 had cryptosporidium - they wanted to know whether he had been in various places/done various things recently, presumably to see if they could work out where the outbreak came from. Will they have been doing the same thing in this case? (If so, we won't be able to tell them much as we don't know MIL's recent movements!) Is septicaemia even "catching" in that sense? Are there any precautions they might want DH to take as he's been with MIL today?

If you've been in direct contact with someone who's had septicaemia you'll need to take some anti-vitals (or something?) as a precaution. I had to take them for a week after my sister died from meningitis. Turns your pee bright orange.

*anti-virals
Hope your mil makes a good recovery. Septicaemia is a bastard.

Oh, thanks! I had no idea it could be something as specific as that. I'll get DH to try to get back in contact with these people or if not then ask his own GP as soon as possible after he gets back!

What infection does she have that caused the septicaemia ? I thought that was essentially and infection that has got into the blood - blood poisoning. I didn't think it itself was catching?

Septicaemia is a broad term for a blood infection, but depending on the specific infection, it may be communicable, and if so, there may be a treatment that can be given to people who were in close contact with her in the time leading up to getting ill. It's worth just calling back and checking what they wanted to know.

Well, we called them back when DH finally got home and they didn't recommend him to take anything, but to go to the doctor straight away if he gets any symptoms such as sore throat, temperature or rash. This was after they'd checked exactly how much physical contact he'd had and he said he'd kissed her on the cheek. (The problem is with her legs.) Feeling a bit more confident now that it's probably nothing to worry about but DH is the sort of person who goes to the doctor at the drop of a hat anyway, so it's unlikely anything will be missed.

And DS1 needs some training in phone technique!

I hope your MIL recovers well.
It is an awful, awful thing.

You wouldn't take anti virals for septicemia, it's bacterial!