Since 2004, it is mandatory for clinical directors of laboratories to notify a case of TB to the regional director of public health (DPH) under their role as medical officer of health (MOH). This relates to cases of TB disease only and not to cases of latent TB infection (LTBI). LTBI is not a notifiable disease. The ‘Guidelines on the Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis in Ireland 2010’ were produced by the National TB Advisory Committee in 2010 and amended in 2014. These guidelines deal with many aspects of prevention, diagnosis and control of TB in Ireland and are intended to act as a source of expert advice on tuberculosis. The guidelines provide that once a diagnosis of TB is confirmed, it is communicated to the MOH. The MOH is required to report possible, probable and confirmed cases of TB to the HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). This information is published as part of the HPSC's Weekly Infectious Diseases Report and is available on the HSE's website. In relation to the specific case at Galway University Hospital referred to by the Deputy, my Department sought an update from the HSE. The HSE has assured me that once the case of infectious TB was confirmed, it was managed in accordance with the 'Guidelines on the Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis in Ireland, 2010' referred to above. The HSE has also confirmed that this incident has been logged as part of their Quality and Incidents Management system.
