Third interim report on research into the extent of substance abuse in the Western Health Board area in children up to 18 years.

This interim report was delivered in December 1994 after the author had completed most of the background work for the study, including interviews with key personal in the Western Health Board area. Information received from a postal interview with general practitioners in the area is present in detail. Interviews with other key personnel in counties Mayo and Roscommon, including youth workers, Gardai, probation workers, the psychiatric and social services are briefly summarised

Second interim report on research into the extent of substance abuse in the Western Health Board area in children up to 18 years old.

This second interim report was presented in September 1994 after the author had completed interviews with key personal in the Western Health Board area. Interviews with key personnel in areas of Galway City and County, including youth workers, Gardai, probation workers, the psychiatric and social services are briefly summarised. The areas covered were selected on the basis of having being identified by various sources as having high level of teenage substance use

Report on substance use among adolescents in the Western Health Board.

This report is based on a descriptive survey of substance use among adolescents (age 12 to 18 years) attending a random sample of 37 schools in the Western Health Board area. The survey was also carried out among in all training centres and community projects for early school leavers in the area. The survey instrument was an anonymous questionnaire. A total 2,859 subjects were surveyed between October and December 1994. Prevalence rates for smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and drug use are given. Comparison is made between prevalence in city areas and rural areas, between settled early school leavers and travellers, and between various other groupings. The report recommends that, in order to deal with drug use, a school-based education programme should be established by the health board, a Community Addiction Team, which could tackle both alcohol and drug problems should be set up initially in Galway City

Developing an Interoperable Port Health Contingency Plan

Contingency planning is a vital component of robust national emergency preparedness. In Ireland, the Health Service Executive Port Health Network engaged with Dublin Port from July 2021 to develop Ireland’s first interoperable port health contingency plan, with a view to rolling it out to other designated ports. The EU Healthy Gateways tool for public health emergency contingency plan development (2021) was utilized to support this project, ensuring public health emergency contingency planning across varied public health threats. The principles of this multi-agency approach to port contingency planning, as described, are applicable to other designated ports within Ireland and other jurisdictions

Developing an Interoperable Port Health Contingency Plan

Contingency planning is a vital component of robust national emergency preparedness. In Ireland, the Health Service Executive Port Health Network engaged with Dublin Port from July 2021 to develop Ireland’s first interoperable port health contingency plan, with a view to rolling it out to other designated ports. The EU Healthy Gateways tool for public health emergency contingency plan development (2021) was utilized to support this project, ensuring public health emergency contingency planning across varied public health threats. The principles of this multi-agency approach to port contingency planning, as described, are applicable to other designated ports within Ireland and other jurisdictions

An Irish outbreak of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-1 carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae: increasing but unrecognised prevalence

Background Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) can cause healthcare–associated infections with high mortality rates. New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) is amongst the most recently discovered carbapenemases. Aim To report the first outbreak of NDM-1 CPE in Ireland, including microbiological and epidemiological characteristics, and assessing the impact of infection prevention and control measures. Methods Retrospective microbiological and epidemiological review. Cases were defined as patients with a CPE positive culture. Contacts were designated as roommates or ward mates. Findings This outbreak involved ten patients, with a median age of 71 years (range 45-90 years), located in three separate but affiliated healthcare facilities. One patient was infected (the index case); the nine others were colonised. Nine NDM-1-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, a NDM-1-producing Escherichia coli and a K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Enterobacter cloacae were detected between week 24 2014 and week 37 2014. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis demonstrated similarity. NDM-1 positive isolates were meropenem resistant with MICs ranging from 12 to 32 μg/ml. All were tigecycline susceptible (MICs ≤1 μg/ml). One isolate was colistin resistant (MIC 4.0 μg/ml; mcr-1 gene not detected). In 2015, four further NDM-1 isolates were detected. Conclusions The successful management of this outbreak was achieved via the prompt implementation of enhanced infection prevention and control practices to prevent transmission. These patients did not have a history of travel outside of Ireland, but a number had frequent hospitalisations in Ireland, raising concerns regarding the possibility of increasing but unrecognised prevalence of NDM-1 and potential decline in value of travel history a marker of colonisation risk

Investigation of a monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to chocolate products as part of wider international outbreak: A matched case–control study, Ireland, 2022

Abstract Background In March 2022, an outbreak investigation was initiated in Ireland after identifying a cluster of monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium cases, affecting primarily small children. Microbiological investigations revealed that the cluster was part of a wider international outbreak. Methods A total of 18 Irish outbreak cases were identified. We undertook a matched case–control study using the case–case method to determine if exposure to the implicated products was associated with illness. Results In univariable analysis, the highest odds of disease due to monophasic S. Typhimurium versus other gastrointestinal disease were obtained for a chocolate Product A of Brand A [matched odds ratio (mOR) = 7.77, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.89–67.20]. When grouping the implicated products in a composite variable, the odds of disease due to monophasic S. Typhimurium versus other gastrointestinal disease were 10.5 times higher with a consumption of at least one of the implicated products [mOR = 10.50, 95% CI: 1.24–88.60, p = 0.031]. Conclusion This analytical study supported the internationally generated hypothesis which led to the implementation of control measures. Owing to the high levels of chocolate purchasing with Easter approaching, early outbreak identification and involvement in the internationally coordinated investigation was essential to an efficient response and to minimise the risk of further harm to a particularly vulnerable population group