Changes to case definitions of early infectious syphilis and lyme disease
Changes have been made to the case definitions for early infectious syphilis and lyme disease (neuroborreliosis) and to the notification requirements of CJD and vCJD.
Syphilis
A slight change to the case definition for early infectious syphilis was introduced on 1st January 2019. This change enables the reporting of early infectious syphilis cases to public health, in the circumstances where a clinician at an STI specialised service has identified that a person has acute infectious syphilis based on the clinical picture, but the laboratory criteria for determining a case to be acute infectious syphilis have not been met. Based on a review of surveillance data in the last couple of years, this may occur in a small number of cases. Such cases will be reported as probable cases. The updated case definition for syphilis is available on the HPSC website.
Lyme neuroborreliosis
From January 1st, 2019, an updated case definition, published by the European Union in the Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/945 of 22 June 2018, is being used for the identification and confirmation of cases of Lyme neuroborreliosis. It is intended that the European Union Lyme neuroborreliosis case definition will be applied by Member States across the European Union. The former case definition was considered to be insufficiently sensitive and specific for the purposes of surveillance. The main changes include the inclusion of confirmed and probable cases and more specific serological and clinical parameters, with greater emphasis on diagnostic markers in cerebrospinal fluid. These changes are based on the European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS) suggested case definition. The updated case definition for Lyme neuroborreliosis is available on the HPSC website.
Changes to notification requirements of CJD and vCJD
The notification requirements of CJD and vCJD have been amended so that both suspected and/or confirmed cases can be notified in line with other diseases listed as notifiable.
https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/other/cjd/casedefinitions/cjdcasedefinition/
http://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/other/cjd/casedefinitions/vcjdcasedefinition/
Further resources
List of notifiable diseases
Case definitions for notifiable diseases
Notifying infectious diseases - what, who, how, when