HC Deb 18 June 2002 vol 387 cc247-8W
Dr. Fox

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of E.coli infection there were in each of the last five years. [56959]

Ms Blears

The Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) for England and Wales and the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health in Scotland (SCIEH) receives reports from microbiology laboratories for E.coli blood stream isolates (bacteraemias) and E.coli 0157 faecal isolates. E.coli is the second most common cause of bacteraemia. The results for the past five years are as set out in the table.

E.coli blood stream isolates (bacteraemias) and E.coli 0157 faecal isolates; England, Wales and Scotland, 1997 to 2002
E.coli bacteraemias E.coli 0157 faecal isolates
Year England and Wales Scotland1 England and Wales Scotland1
1997 210,336 1,572 21,087 423
1998 211,537 1,672 2890 217
1999 211,329 1,586 21,084 294
2000 311,032 1,545 2896 197
20014 311,392 1,499 2768 237
Data sources:
1 Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health
2 PHLS website
3 PHLS CDR Weekly
4 Provisional data

In addition, SCIEH received a further 237 reports of E.coli infection not specified as E.coli 0157 over the five-year period.

For Northern Ireland, the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre received the following confirmed laboratory reports:

E.coli total (all serotypes) E.coli 0157
1997 515 30
1998 507 29
1999 481 54
2000 579 54
2001 584 52

Forward to