Limerick East): To date this year, 181 cases of hepatitis A in the population as a whole have been reported to the Department of Health. The data available under the reporting system do not identify those cases which relate to pupils in schools.
The Department is, however, aware of an outbreak of hepatitis A involving two national schools in Bagenalstown, County Carlow. The outbreak, which started in late December 1995, is also present in the community. The total number of case notified to date is 85, and 40 of these occurred in school children attending Bagenalstown national schools.