Over the last twelve years the PHL, situated at Cherry Orchard Hospital has developed an international reputation in the diagnosis and complex molecular strain relatedness work on Verocytotoxin E.coli . This is a pathogen that causes significant gastro-enteritis often complicated with renal failure and blood disorders, which may result in significant mortality as seen in the recent O104 VTEC outbreak in Germany last summer.
Ireland has one of the highest rates of this infection in Europe, mainly associated with contaminated group or private water sources and also with transmission in child care facilities. However contaminated food remains a significant risk and it is essential that Ireland has a sophisticated laboratory capability to assess and manage this threat.
The accredited officially designated PHL, Dublin has developed and delivered for many years under the direction of Dr. Eleanor McNamara (Consultant Microbiologist) and Dr. Anne Carroll (Molecular Scientist) a detailed national human clinical verocytotoxin E.coli reference laboratory service that is one of the most complete in Europe. This greatly benefits the rapid recognition and management of VTEC outbreaks in Ireland.
In progression of this specialist VTEC service development, INAB at a recent accreditation visit to the PHL, Dublin recommended for approval a unique extension of scope that includes the novel method of DNA extraction from food for the detection of VTEC which was recently proposed by the European Food Safety Authority. In addition the PHL, Dublin has also been recommended for extension to their scope, the complex molecular strain typing of all VTEC isolates. This now provides Ireland with an excellent VTEC laboratory support to both its Public Health and Food Safety agencies that ECDC and EFSA are recommending for all member states to develop. The expert staff at PHL, Dublin are justifiably proud of this unique achievement, which places this laboratory at the cutting edge of scientific development in the management of this pathogen in Europe.
