§ Ms Jenny JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus incidents have occurred in hospitals in the(a) West Midlands and (b) London regions between July 1997 and June 2000. [140455]
§ Mr. DenhamThe Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) compiles aggregate data on the numbers of incidents of methicillin resistantstaphylococcus aureus (MRSA) which are voluntarily submitted by trusts for specialist microbiological tests. The PHLS also compiles data on blood stream and other serious infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus in hospitals and the community, reported by microbiology laboratories.
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Incidents of MRSA Rate per 100,000 population 1997 North Thames 544 8 South Thames 385 6 West Midlands 102 2 1998 North Thames 289 4 South Thames 220 3 West Midlands 169 1 1999 London 290 4 West Midlands 30 1
Incidents of MRSA Rate per 100,000 population 2000 London 100 1— West Midlands 30 1— 1 Data for 2000 are incomplete, therefore the rate per 100,000 cannot be calculated Notes:
1. An incident is three or more patients infected or colonised by the same strain of MRSA in the same month from the same hospital.
2. The criteria for submission of isolates of MRSA to the PHLS for specialist tests have been revised twice since 1997 (in January 1998 and January 2000)