§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what evidence is available to his Department of sources of listeria infection other than food.
§ Mrs. CurrieListeria is an organism known to be found widely in the environment. It is present, for example, in silage, sewage sludge, vegetable matter and river water. Listeriosis remains an uncommon cause of human disease.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether there have been any deaths in the United Kingdom from listeria in recent years.
§ Mrs. CurrieListeria is classified in the International Classification of Disease (ICD), ninth revision, under two separate codes: ICD 027.0 (Listeriosis) and ICD 771.2 (Other congenital infections, which includes congenital listeriosis).
The number of death registrations in the United Kingdom in the years 1979 to 1986 which have had either of these codes assigned as underlying cause of death are shown in the table. The numbers assigned to ICD 771.2 are solely those relating to the congenital listeriosis element of this code.
Number of death registrations with listeriosis (ICD 027.0) or congenital listeriosis (part of ICD 771.2) as underlying cause, United Kingdom. 1979–86 Year A1 B2 19863 11 1 1985 7 5 1984 6 2 1983 14 3 1982 3 4 1981 7 2 1980 5 2 1979 8 2 A1 =ICD 027.0 Listeriosis. B2 =ICD 771.2 (part) congenital listeriosis. 3 1986: England and Wales component is from 28 days and over.