Written answers

Tuesday, 22 September 2015

Photo of Derek KeatingDerek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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993. To ask the Minister for Health the number of diagnoses of Lyme Disease here in recent years; the number of diagnoses for Lyme Disease that were missed, in view of the case of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; his views on the matter; his further views on the quality of testing here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31410/15]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Lyme Disease became a notifiable disease in Ireland in 2012, the notifiable entity being that of Neuroborreliosis. Since then, 8 cases were notified in 2012, 13 in 2013, 18 in 2014 and 7 provisionally for this year. As with any illness, it is not possible to say how many cases may have been undiagnosed.

It is not appropriate for me to comment on any individual case. What I would say is that current best advice is that the diagnosis of Lyme Borreliosis should be made after careful evaluation of the patient's clinical history, physical findings, laboratory evidence and exposure risk evaluation.

The general position regarding testing for Lyme Disease is that antibody testing is the mainstay of laboratory testing but these tests need to be performed by an appropriately accredited laboratory, ideally using validated CE marked assays. In addition, international guidelines recommend a two-stage approach for serology testing. Samples are first screened using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Reactive results are further investigated using a second test, the immunoblot (Western Blot). It is possible to get a preliminary positive screening test (EIA) which is not confirmed when interpreted with the result of the second immunoblot test.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre of the HSE has established a Lyme Borreliosis sub-committee of its Scientific Advisory Committee to consider methods to raise awareness and improve surveillance of Lyme Borreliosis in Ireland. Part of the committee's work will also be to undertake a survey of Borreliosis laboratory practice in Irish clinical laboratories which should provide valuable information on the manner in which Lyme testing takes place in Ireland.

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