Epidemiology and Infection

Table of Contents - 2002 - Volume 129, Issue 01  


A population-based estimate of the burden of diarrhoeal illness in the United States: FoodNet, 1996–7

H.  HERIKSTAD  a1 c1, S.  YANG  a1, T. J.  VAN GILDER  a1, D.  VUGIA  a2, J.  HADLER  a3, P.  BLAKE  a4, V.  DENEEN  a5, B.  SHIFERAW  a6, F. J.  ANGULO  a1 c2 and THE FOODNET WORKING GROUP 
a1 Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, CDC, Atlanta, GA
a2 California State Department of Health Services, Berkeley, CA, USA
a3 Connecticut State Department of Public Health, Hartford, CT, USA
a4 Division of Public Health, Georgia Dept of Human Resources, Atlanta, GA, USA
a5 Minnesota Department of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN, USA
a6 Oregon Health Division, Portland, OR, USA

Abstract

This study was performed to better understand and more precisely quantify the amount and burden of illness caused by acute diarrhoea in the United States today. A telephone-based population survey was conducted between 1 July, 1996, and 31 June, 1997, in sites of the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet). The overall prevalence of acute diarrhoea in the 4 weeks before interview was 11%, giving a rate of 1.4 episodes of diarrhoea per person per year. The rate of diarrhoeal illness defined as a diarrhoeal episode lasting longer than 1 day or which resulted in significant impairment of daily activities was 0.7 per person per year. It can be concluded that acute diarrhoea is common and represents a significant burden of illness in the United States. Our data on self-reported diarrhoea, when generalized to the entire nation, suggests 375 million episodes of acute diarrhoea each year in the United States. Many of these episodes are mild. However, our data also indicate that there are approximately 200 million episodes of diarrhoeal illness each year in the United States.

(Accepted October 19 2001)


Correspondence:
c1 Author for correspondence: Regional Food Control Authority, 4033 Stavanger, Norway.
c2 Author reprints: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mailstop A38, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.

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