HC Deb 22 May 1997 vol 294 c171W
Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the national incidence of(a) E. coli and (b) listeria has been in each of the last three years. [46]

Ms Jowell

The incidence of food poisoning is indicated by the number of isolations of pathogens made from samples from patients submitted to the Public Health Laboratory Service. The figures for the last three years are given in the table:

Listeria and E. coli 0157 isolates
England and Wales annual totals
1994 1995 1996
E. coli 01571 411 2792 3660
Listeria 112 91 3116

Source:

Public Health Laboratory service.

Notes:

1 Before 1995 laboratories examined only bloody diarrhoeal stools for E. coli 0157, since 1995 they have examined all diarrhoeal stools.

2 PHLS do not routinely examine diarrhoeal stools for other E. coli.

3 Provisional figures.