More than 150 people had by last night contacted a Health Service Executive (HSE) helpline set up for people experiencing symptoms of a potentially fatal strain of the E.coli virus. The outbreak is thought to have originated in Enniscrone, Co Sligo.
To date, six cases of the virus have been confirmed, with one patient requiring hospitalisation for five days last week before being discharged. However, the source of the contamination has yet to be determined.
Four of the confirmed cases relate to four people from Northern Ireland who were in Enniscrone during the period in question. The other two cases were found in individuals living in the Republic.
The HSE set up the helpline on Tuesday and has asked anyone who visited, stayed in or ate food in Enniscrone between July 20th and August 20th, and who subsequently became ill with diarrhoea, vomiting or abdominal pain, to get in touch.
Dr Anthony Breslin, specialist in public health medicine at the HSE North West, said the majority of callers to the helpline said they were suffering from such symptoms. These may be related to the outbreak of the O157 strain of the virus, he said.
Between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of patients presenting with this strain suffer renal failure, with about 1 per cent of cases leading to death, he said.
Local Fine Gael councillor Paul Conmy criticised the HSE for mentioning Enniscrone if there was no proof that the infection was contracted in the town.
"A number of people could have picked up that infection in locations around the world and happened to arrive in Enniscrone later the same day. The HSE has not handled this situation well," he said.
Responding, Dr Breslin said there was a strong link between Enniscrone and the six confirmed cases. Cases relating to those who had contacted the helpline would be investigated, he said.
Separately, a "boil water" notice in place for almost three weeks at a housing estate in north Dublin is to continue.
About 161 houses in Knocksedan estate in Swords are affected by the notice, which was issued following comfirmation that the public water supply to the estate was contaminated with E.coli. A Fingal County Council spokeswoman said the exact cause and location of the contamination had not been identified.
Meanwhile, a visitor ban has been put in place at Waterford Regional Hospital, following a suspected outbreak of the Noro virus or winter vomiting bug.