§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the incidence of the coxsackie virus in England in the last two years; and in what geographical areas the problem has been identified.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe incidence of coxsackie virus infection varies considerably between years, as in the case with many infectious diseases; the reported incidence of coxsackie virus infection was particularly low in 1993. Estimates of the incidence of coxsackie virus infection are based on voluntary reports made to the public health laboratory service communicable disease surveillance centre by microbiology laboratories throughout England and Wales. Inter-regional variation in reported incidence reflects both true variations in incidence and variations in diagnostic and reporting practice.
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Coxsackie Virus Infection, 1992–93 Laboratory Reports to PHLS Communicable Disease
Surveillance Centre
Regional Health Authority 1992 11993 Northern 78 88 Yorkshire 56 28 Trent 83 51 East Anglian 32 12 North West Thames 37 11 North East Thames 13 12
Regional Health Authority 1992 11993 South East Thames 28 17 South West Thames 36 10 Wessex 77 49 Oxford 33 14 South Western 126 94 West Midlands 81 21 Mersey 40 29 North Western 51 17 England 771 453 1 1993 data provisional
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research is being undertaken into the coxsackie virus in England.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe public health laboratory service is developing new diagnostic tests for coxsackie virus infections; these new tests should overcome many of the problems currently associated with the diagnosis of coxsackie infections.
The PHLS is also undertaking a retrospective analysis of the epidemiology of coxsackie virus infections in England and Wales over the last 20 years.
Research into dilated cardiomyopathies and persistent myopericarditis due to coxsackie viruses is being conducted by a teaching hospital in London.
There is a multicentre study of myalgic encephalomyelitis that is investigating whether there is an association between ME and, among other infections, coxsackie virus infection.
The Medical Research Council, which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, is supporting research at the university of Essex concerning the molecular analysis of receptors specifically in coxsackie virus A9.