Tag Archives: outbreak

The Department of Public Health Mid-West has highlight the importance of strong hand hygiene and effective well water treatment, following a recent outbreak of Verotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC) in a single setting in the Mid-West region. VTEC is a powerful strain of E. coli bacterium that can cause serious illness in children aged under five, and the elderly. The Mid-West has one of the highest incidences of VTEC in Ireland. Public Health Mid-West is currently managing an outbreak of VTEC among young children in a single setting. The HSE can confirm that it is currently under control. The public health department reassured the public that these isolated outbreaks do not affect its work in managing the Covid-19 pandemic, or any other infectious disease in the region. Incidence of VTEC tends to be higher in warmer weather, particularly over the summer time, though the annual case number is likely to be lower in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the …

AN Outbreak Control Team has been established at University Hospital Limerick after one patient and one member of staff on Ward 3B tested positive for Covid-19 this Tuesday ( August 19). Contact tracing and testing is currently underway and all appropriate infection prevention and control measures are being followed in line with the national HPSC guidance. A number of staff from the ward at the centre of what we believe to be a localised outbreak have been identified as contacts. They have been asked to stay off work and to self-isolate in line with national guidance.  Initial testing of all patient contacts is complete and has not identified further cases. Initial testing of all staff contacts is expected to be complete tomorrow. All patients on the ward in question have been informed of the outbreak. Noreen Spillane, Chief Operations Officer, UL Hospitals Group, said: “Hospitals have been preparing for these situations for many months and we have now established an …

OUTBREAKS of Covid-19 have been confirmed in a quarter of nursing homes in Clare, The Champion has learned. News of clusters in four out of the county’s 16 homes has prompted renewed calls for greater medical supervision of these facilities. There were a total of 13 nursing home clusters in the Midwest area covering Limerick, Clare and North Tippeary, according to figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) up to May 24. Data released by the Health Service Executive (HSE) now indicate that Clare accounts for just under one-third of these. Reacting to the figures, Deputy Michael McNamara, who is Chair of the Covid-19 Dáil Committee, has called on the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to provide it with details of the homes it identified, at the outset of the pandemic, as being at particular risk. At Tuesday’s committee hearing, Mary Dunnion of HIQA said a list had been sent to the HSE in February or March. “These, …

Strict visiting restrictions remain in place at University Hospital Limerick following an outbreak of influenza. As of 3pm this Friday afternoon there were nine confirmed cases of seasonal influenza in the hospital. In addition there is one confirmed cases of norovirus in the hospital. The Health Protection and Surveillance Centre has this week urged people in high-risk groups to get vaccinated against as the number of reported cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) in Ireland has increased in the past week. UL Hospitals Group has asked that members of the public respect the current restrictions on visiting at UHL. Only those visiting critically unwell patients and parents visiting sick children are unaffected by the restrictions. All other visitors are asked to stay away from the hospital at this time, and in particular the under-16s, those with flu symptoms and those feeling unwell in general. “We regret any inconvenience caused by the restrictions, which are being implemented in the interests of patient …

An elderly man had a lucky escape last night after his home at Mc Hugh Villas in Ennis was extensively damaged by fire. The alarm was raised shortly before 7pm when neighbours noticed a fire in the front room of the end-of-terrace bungalow. McHugh Villas is an estate primarily occupied by elderly residents. It’s understood the man tried to bring the outbreak under control initially before the fire services were alerted. Three units of the fire brigade along with gardaí from Ennis responded to the incident. Fire personnel quickly set about tackling the blaze and firemen battled to ensure the fire didn’t spread to adjoining property. The fire was brought under control within 30 minutes.

COMPANIES in Clare should “step up and provide corporate support” to West Africa, as it fights to contain the outbreak of Ebola, an Inagh man leading one NGO’s response to the disease in the region has said. Damien Queally of Plan Ireland has just returned to his base in Senegal from a visit to the charity’s projects in the three worst-affected countries. “We are looking for medical personnel, good solid project managers who are able to keep multiple activities moving at the same time, logisticians. It would be great if some companies would step up and provide corporate support with some of the supplies that are needed. Personal protective equipment for one person is about €50, a water hygiene kit is about €25,” he said. “After visiting the three countries, while I was a bit apprehensive going in, once I saw the hand-washing checks everywhere, the temperature checks everywhere…there is a lot more in place, my fear went. Having gone …