Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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222. To ask the Minister for Health the reason a family whose child underwent a variety of tests at a hospital (details supplied) in County Meath have not yet received results of those tests, if he will arrange for the results to be provided as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44040/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I have been advised that the child in question became symptomatic on 20 August 2013 and was admitted to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital , Drogheda on 22 August 2013 and diagnosed positive with E. Coli 0157. The child was later transferred to Temple St Hospital and has since made a complete recovery.

As part of the HSE investigation, the child's family was asked about the food it had consumed in the period prior to the onset of illness. A local food outlet was identified as the only place in which the family had eaten away from home. The outlet was inspected by the Environmental Health Service (EHS) of the HSE, which took 5 samples of food for microbiological analysis. The samples were submitted to the Public Health Laboratory on 2 September. The final laboratory reports for these samples were received on 12 September and all samples tested negative or absent for E. Coli and VT producing E. Coli .

The EHS also arranged for a water sample to be taken from the family home. This was submitted to the same laboratory on 19 September 2013. The final laboratory report was received on 25 September and the water tested negative for the presence of E. Coli .

I understand that the HSE is making contact with the family to advise them of the test results.