Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 143: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the exact figures for MRSA in each hospital; the measures which are being taken to ensure that the levels of MRSA is recorded; the measures she is taking to combat the spread of infection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35476/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 308: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of incidents of MRSA reported or suspected to date; her plans to improve the situation from a patients health view point; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35676/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 308 together.

Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, is one of the most well known antimicrobial infections, which are present in hospitals here and internationally. It is also increasingly seen in community health care units such as nursing homes.

MRSA can exist without affecting people's health and information on the prevalence of such asymptomatic carriage is not routinely reported. For the purposes of the surveillance, prevention and control of this infection, however, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre collects data on MRSA bacteraemia, also known as bloodstream infection or blood poisoning, as part of the European antimicrobial resistance surveillance system, EARRS. EARSS collects data on the first episode of blood stream infection per patient per quarter. EARSS was designed to allow comparison of antimicrobial resistance data between countries and possibly regions but not between hospitals. In the first six months of 2005 there were 314 reported cases of MRSA blood-stream infection.

I have asked the Health Service Executive, HSE, to develop systems and methodologies of reporting of MRSA infections by hospital so that we may have a fuller picture of the location and extent of these infections. My Department continues to engage with the HSE to agree on a series of actions over the next period of time so that MRSA can be effectively dealt with so as to see a reduction in the incidence and effects of these infections. My Department has asked the parliamentary affairs division of the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy in relation to the request for data on MRSA in each hospital.