§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Health for each of the years 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993, how many people in the United Kingdom(a) became infected with the tapeworm echinococcus granulosus and (b) died from infection with the tapeworm echinococcus granulosus caught in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe number of laboratory reports of human echinococcus infection received by the Public Health Laboratory Service communicable disease surveillance centre in 1990–93 are shown in the table. Place of acquisition of the infection is not reported.
1990 1991 1992 11993 England and Wales 14 5 16 13 Northern Ireland 0 0 0 0 Scotland 0 0 0 1 United Kingdom 14 5 16 14 1 Data for 1993 are provisional. There have been no deaths certified as being clue to echinococcus granulosus—1ICD 122.0, 122.1, l 22.2, 122.3, 122.4 in 1990–92. The table below gives the 212W number of deaths in each of the three years due to echinococcus unspecified—1ICD 122.8, 122.9—in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Information on whether the infections were acquired in the United Kingdom or abroad is not available. Data for 1993 are not yet available.
1990 1991 1992 England and Wales 5 3 3 Scotland 0 0 0 Northern Ireland 0 0 0 United Kingdom 5 3 3 1 International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Health for each of the years 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993, what has been the cost to public funds of treatment of infection with the tapeworm echinococcus granulosus.
§ Mr. SackvilleEchinococcus granulosus—hydatid disease—can be treated either medically or with a combination of anti-helminthic drugs and surgery. It is not possible to estimate the cost to public funds of this treatment.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what have been the main focuses in the United Kingdom of infection with the tapeworm echinococcus since 1990.
§ Mr. SackvilleInformation on the focuses of infection with echinococcus granulosus—hydatid disease—is not available. Data on the number of cases are available from laboratory reports made to the Public Health Laboratory Service communicable disease surveillance centre. A total of 34 laboratory reports were made from 19 different laboratories in England and Wales during the period 1991 to 1993. However, as data are provided by reporting laboratory it is not possible to assume focuses of infection from these figures because some laboratories—for example, Cardiff public health laboratory and the London tropical diseases hospital—have particular interest and expertise in this field and cases are referred to them from all over the country. It is also not possible to tell from these reports whether these are new cases or fresh investigations on previously diagnosed cases or what duplication might exist in them.