Economic costs of outbreaks of acute viral gastroenteritis due to norovirus in Catalonia (Spain), 2010-2011.

,Encarna Navas,Nuria Torner,Rosa Bartolomé,Angela Domínguez,Sonia Broner,Ana Martínez,Pere Godoy

doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2289-x

Abstract

BackgroundTo determine the direct and indirect costs of outbreaks of acute viral gastroenteritis (AVG) due to norovirus in closed institutions (hospitals, social health centers or nursing homes) and the community in Catalonia in 2010–11.MethodsInformation on outbreaks were gathered from the reports made by epidemiological surveillance units. Direct costs (medical visits, hospital stays, drug treatment, sample processing, transport, diagnostic tests, monitoring and control of the outbreaks investigated) and indirect costs (lost productivity due to work absenteeism, caregivers time and working hours lost due to medical visits) were calculated.ResultsTwenty-seven outbreaks affecting 816 people in closed institutions and 74 outbreaks affecting 1,940 people in the community were detected. The direct and indirect costs of outbreaks were € 131,997.36 (€ 4,888.79 per outbreak) in closed institutions and € 260,557.16 (€ 3,521.04 per outbreak) in community outbreaks. The cost per case was € 161.76 in outbreaks in closed institutions and € 134.31 in community outbreaks. The main costs were surveillance unit monitoring (€ 116,652.93), laboratory diagnoses (€ 119,950.95), transport of samples (€ 69,970.90), medical visits (€ 25,250.50) and hospitalization (€ 13,400.00).ConclusionsThe cost of outbreaks of acute viral gastroenteritis due to norovirus obtained in this study was influenced by the number of people affected and the severity of the outbreak, which determined hospitalizations and work absenteeism. Urgent reporting of outbreaks would allow the implementation of control measures that could reduce the numbers affected and the duration of the illness and thus the costs derived from them.

Highlights

To determine the direct and indirect costs of outbreaks of acute viral gastroenteritis (AVG) due to norovirus in closed institutions and the community in Catalonia in 2010–11
In 2010–2011, 101 outbreaks of AVG due to norovirus were investigated in Catalonia, 66 in 2010 and 35 in 2011 (Table 1)
The proportion of outbreaks occurring in closed institutions varies between the 71 % found by Fretz et al [11] in Switzerland, the 39 % found by Blanton et al [12] in the United States, the 72 % observed by Hellard et al [7] in Australia, and the 82 % found by Van den Brandhof in Holland [13]

Summary

Introduction

To determine the direct and indirect costs of outbreaks of acute viral gastroenteritis (AVG) due to norovirus in closed institutions (hospitals, social health centers or nursing homes) and the community in Catalonia in 2010–11. Acute viral gastroenteritis (AVG) is a major cause of morbidity in developed countries, with caliciviruses, and especially norovirus, being the most-frequent causal agents. In Catalonia, norovirus is responsible for 33.3 % of outbreaks of gastroenteritis, affecting more than 1,000 people every year the hospitalization rate is low [1, 2]. In Catalonia, the number of outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis (AG) has gradually declined in recent years from 222 in 2005 to 111 in 2009, probably because of the reduction in the number of outbreaks caused by Salmonella spp [6]. The cost of outbreaks varies widely from $ 40,675 (€30,178.71) [8] to £1,200,000 (€1,514,921.67) [9] according to the number of cases and their severity and according to the different components measured and the perspective used

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