Vol. 529 No. 1
725 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people who have been diagnosed with CJD and new variant CJD here in the years 1995 to 2001; and the mechanisms currently in place for the reporting of this disease. [2354/01]
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease – CJD – and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease – vCJD – are notifiable diseases under the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations, 1996, which came into effect on 16 December 1996. Under the regulations all cases of CJD and vCJD which are definitively diagnosed are required to be reported. The number of cases of CJD reported in each of the years since 1997 is as follows: 1997, 3; 1998, 6; 1999, 1; 2000, 2.
There was also one case of vCJD in 1999.
The number of persons who have died of CJD in 1995 and 1996 was two and three respectively.
In order to establish the true incidence of CJD and to determine any changes in the pattern and/or nature of its occurrence, a national surveillance unit has been established and is based at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin. Among the objectives of this unit are to build a database of information on CJD cases in Ireland and to provide a facility to medical practitioners for the verification of suspected cases of the disease.
The CJD advisory group was established in 1996 to advise the Minister for Health and Children on CJD-related matters including surveillance, research strategies and international developments generally in relation to this disease, and to provide advice on particular issues referred to the Group from time to time by the Minister. The advisory group comprises experts in neurology, neuropathology, haematology, food safety, public health, veterinary medicine and microbiology. My Department is also represented.
Ireland also participates in the European surveillance programme on CJD.
Question No. 726 answered with Question No. 515.
