asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn of the fact that the disease Leptospirosis is spreading from dairy herds to humans; the number of cases his Department have on record; and if the patients in these cases are responding to treatment.
Written Answers. - Spread of Disease.
187.
Leptospirosis is a notifiable disease under the Infectious Diseases Regulations, 1981. The number of cases of leptospirosis reported under the regulations in recent years is set out in the following table:
|
Year |
No. of cases |
|
1988 (to 29-2-99) |
0 |
|
1987 |
6 |
|
1986 |
4 |
|
1985 |
5 |
|
1984 |
8 |
In this country the disease is most commonly associated with water contaminated by rat urine. No case associated with dairy herds has been reported in Ireland. All of the cases reported have been successfully treated.