WRITTEN QUESTION E-1720/98

by María Sornosa Martínez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(29 May 1998)

Subject: Outbreak of hepatitis C in Valencia

An outbreak of hepatitis C has been notified in two hospitals in Valencia (La Fe and Casa de la Salud) which has so far affected at least 217 people, most of them anaesthetized by the same doctor who took part in operations performed on them in the hospitals concerned.

The Department of Health was made aware of the situation thanks to reports by trade unions, consumers, opposition parties and associations set up to defend public health, and it has still not given a satisfactory response concerning the delay in detecting the outbreak of hepatitis, it being estimated that a period of three months will be necessary in order to obtain reliable data on the outbreak and its origin.

Article 152 (ex 129) of Title XIII (formerly Title X) of the Treaty, on public health, lays down that "Community action, which shall complement national policies, shall be directed towards improving public health, preventing human illness and diseases, and obviating sources of danger to human health. Such action shall cover the fight against the major health scourges, by promoting research into their causes, their transmission and their prevention, as well as health information and education". Article 153(3b) (ex 129a) of Title XIV (formerly Title XI) of the Treaty, on consumer protection, refers to the application of measures which support, supplement and monitor the policy pursued by the Member States with a view to guaranteeing consumers a high level of protection.

1. Does the Commission plan to take urgent measures in the event of such outbreaks of epidemics, in coordination with the competent local and national administrations?

2. Will the Commission ask the Spanish health authorities to provide an assessment of the origin and means of transmission of this outbreak and its impact on the population?

3. Can the Commission investigate whether the Department of Health followed up the minimum collection of data designed to gather all information on epidemiological monitoring?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(20 July 1998)

The Commission is aware of the recent outbreak of hepatitis C in two hospitals in Valencia and is conscious of the importance of this matter to public health. The Commission understands that the Spanish authorities have taken steps to fully investigate the circumstances and the extent of the infection and all those likely to have been infected are being traced. The Commission is in contact with the Spanish authorities concerning developments on this matter. The Commission would stress, nevertheless, that responsibility for the investigation of outbreaks of this nature rests with the Member States.

The Commission has already given considerable priority to the question of hepatitis C by supporting surveillance efforts and by convening two seminars on specific aspects of hepatitis C contamination at Community level, with particular reference to those of hospital origin. Moreover, and in order to improve more generally the situation with regard to communicable diseases, the Commission proposed the setting up of a Community network for the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the Community. This proposal for a decision of the Parliament and the Council, creating a network for the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the European Community(1), which is now in the process of adoption, specifically refers to hepatitis C due to its importance in respect of public health.

Within the framework of this decision, Member States will report such outbreaks to the Community network (of which the Commission is part) and will coordinate appropriate measures.

(1) COM(98) 79 final.