§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Public Health Laboratory Service's Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens routinely carries out molecular discrimination in respect of sporadic cases of E.coli 0157 infection; and, if not, why not. [HL2624]
§ Baroness Jay of PaddingtonThe Public Health Laboratory Service's Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens (LEP) does not routinely carry out tests for the molecular discrimination of isolates ofEscherichia coli 0157 from sporadic cases of infection. Molecular typing is used for: all fatal cases; clusters of cases notified to the LEP even in the absence of evidence of an outbreak; apparent clusters of cases identified from the LEP typing data—for example, clusters of unusual phage types; cases with known or suspected contact with animals or where there appears to be a link with a particular food; and other cases as required—for example, possible laboratory acquired infections.
§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will issue an instruction to all clinical laboratories to use immunomagnetic separation (Dynabead) tests rather than direct plating to detect E.coli 0157 in samples. [HL2625]
§ 0157. Baroness Jay of PaddingtonDecisions on the testing of clinical specimens are a matter for local laboratory managers. Routine testing of clinical specimens using immunomagnetic separation is unnecessary as this procedure provides only a marginal improvement in detection ofEscherichia coli