Department of Health and Social Care written question – answered at on 27 June 2019.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2019 to Question 230615, and with reference to evidence demonstrating a reduction in rates of Group B Streptococcus infection in Northern Ireland since mandatory reporting of confirmed cases in babies was introduced there in March 2013, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making Group B Streptococcus a notifiable disease.
Statutory notification of infectious diseases provides a means to alert public health officials to the occurrence of suspected or confirmed case of a given disease to direct public health action to prevent infection in others. These regulations, standards and guidance can be viewed at the following links:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/659/contents/made
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notifiable-diseases-and-causative-organisms-how-to-report
The majority of infant Group B Streptococcus cases occur sporadically rather than through spread between individuals. As such, there are no specific public health actions recommended at present following the identification of a single case. If new evidence emerges to suggest actions should be initiated, the addition of Group B Streptococcus to the schedule of notifiable diseases will be reviewed.
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