§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the number of cases of listeria for each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Dorrell[holding answer 28 June 1990]: The number of cases by month for the past 12 months of listeriosis, derived from reports to the communicable disease surveillance centre and to the division of microbiological reagents and quality control at the central public health laboratory, Colindale were as follows:
Number 1989 June 26 July 44 August 21 September 14 October 9 November 9 December 3 1990 January 7 February 6 March 11 April 9 May 110 1 Provisional figure. In the first quarter of 1990 there were 24 cases of listeriosis reported, compared with 67 in the corresponding period of 1989. In 1989 there was a decline in cases reported in the final two quarters of the year for the first time since surveillance began more than 20 years ago. Previously there has always been an increase in summer and autumn.