§ Mr. Colin Shepherdasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of human leptospirosis were notified to the Communicable Disease Records Office for each of the years between 1978 and 1983 inclusive, broken down into categories relating to cases deriving from contact with rats, cattle and dogs.
§ Mr. John PattenThe information on reports from England and Wales is as follows: it does not include cases of human leptospirosis in which the infection was contracted abroad.
Associated With Year Total Rats Cattle Dogs Others not Specified 1978 45 (3)* 18 21 3 3 1979 34 (3) 16 11 2 5 1980 25 (4) 16 6 2 1 1981 42 (1) 26 12 2 2 1982 35 (2) 10 10 7 8 1983 82 (3) 26 40 8 8 Total 263 (16) * Figures in brackets are deaths. The increase in cattle-associated infections in 1983 is thought to be due largely to increased awareness of the disease in the farming community and not to an increase in the disease in herds.