Overseas Travel (Diseases) (Hansard, 27 January 1997)

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many laboratory-confirmed cases of disease acquired in tropical countries there were in Scotland in each year from 1991 to 1995; and when he expects the comparable figures for 1996 to be available. [12138]

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
The information is in tables. The first table gives the total figures for Scotland 1991 to 1996. The second table gives the information by health board for 1996.

Table 1: Laboratory-confirmed cases¹ of disease acquired (or likely to have been acquired) in tropical countries, in Scotland, 1991–1996

Number

1991 100

1992 95

1993 88

1994 112

1995 155

1996 130

Table 2: Laboratory-confirmed cases¹ of disease acquired (or likely to have been acquired) in tropical countries, by health board, 1996.

1996

Argyll and Clyde 3

Ayrshire and Arran 0

Borders 0

Dumfries and Galloway 4

Fife 8

Forth Valley 3

Grampian 17

Greater Glasgow 35

Highland 1

Lanarkshire 1

Lothian 52

Orkney 0

Shetland 0

Tayside 6

Western Isles 0

¹ From Scottish centre for infection and environmental health. Figures relate to the health board to which notification was made, which may differ from the patient's health board of residence.

64W

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 11 December 1996,Official Report, column 285, what factors underlay the rate of confirmed diseases acquired from tropical countries relative to population in the Grampian health board area; and what studies have been undertaken to explain this situation. [12137]

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
The figures given in the answer to the hon. Member's previous question reflect the numbers of patients treated in each health board area. Some of these patients may be resident in other health board areas or may be resident abroad. It may not therefore be valid to make comparisons of incidence between health board areas on the basis of the boards' resident populations. We are not aware of any studies carried out on the number of cases notified to Grampian health board, but the Scottish centre for infection and environmental health continues to monitor the position across Scotland.

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 11 December 1996,Official Report, column 285, concerning tropical diseases, what diseases are covered by the figures given in his answer. [12139]

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
Included in the figures given in my answer to the hon. Member's previous question were all diseases which are exclusively tropical—ascaris, ancylostoma, shistosoma, strongyloides and trichuris among the worm infections, and plasmodium (malaria) in the protozal infections. Also included were other organisms which were known to have been acquired abroad, but which may also be acquired within the United Kingdom, namely, blastocystis, cyclospora, endolimax, entamoeba among the protozoa, and taenia in the worm category, and also salmonella typhi and salmonella paratyphi, which cause typhoid and paratyphoid respectively.

Table 1: Laboratory-confirmed cases¹ of disease acquired (or likely to have been acquired) in tropical countries, in Scotland, 1991–1996
	Number
1991	100
1992	95
1993	88
1994	112
1995	155
1996	130

Table 2: Laboratory-confirmed cases¹ of disease acquired (or likely to have been acquired) in tropical countries, by health board, 1996.
	1996
Argyll and Clyde	3
Ayrshire and Arran	0
Borders	0
Dumfries and Galloway	4
Fife	8
Forth Valley	3
Grampian	17
Greater Glasgow	35
Highland	1
Lanarkshire	1
Lothian	52
Orkney	0
Shetland	0
Tayside	6
Western Isles	0
¹ From Scottish centre for infection and environmental health. Figures relate to the health board to which notification was made, which may differ from the patient's health board of residence.