Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-94d59 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T11:11:03.123Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Repeat capture–recapture studies as part of the evaluation of the surveillance of Legionnaires' disease in France

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 September 2003

A. NARDONE
Affiliation:
Institut de Veille Sanitaire, Saint-Maurice, France European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), Institut de Veille Sanitaire, Saint-Maurice, France
B. DECLUDT
Affiliation:
Institut de Veille Sanitaire, Saint-Maurice, France
S. JARRAUD
Affiliation:
Centre National de Référence des Legionella, Lyon, France
J. ETIENNE
Affiliation:
Centre National de Référence des Legionella, Lyon, France
B. HUBERT
Affiliation:
Institut de Veille Sanitaire, Saint-Maurice, France
A. INFUSO
Affiliation:
Institut de Veille Sanitaire, Saint-Maurice, France
A. GALLAY
Affiliation:
Institut de Veille Sanitaire, Saint-Maurice, France
J.-C. DESENCLOS
Affiliation:
Institut de Veille Sanitaire, Saint-Maurice, France
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

We evaluated improvements made to the mandatory notification surveillance system for Legionnaires' disease in France by estimating its sensitivity in 1995 and 1998 using a repeat capture–recapture method. A case of Legionnaires' disease was defined as a person treated for pneumonia in whom legionella had been detected. Patient details were collected from (1) mandatory notifications; (2) the National Reference Centre for Legionella; (3) a postal survey of all hospital laboratories. The three sources were cross-matched and 715 individual cases were identified. A log-linear model, which included an interaction term between mandatory notifications and both the National Reference Centre and Laboratory sources, provided an estimated total of 1124 cases (95% CI 973–1275) in 1998, a twofold increase compared with 1995. The sensitivity of the surveillance system improved from 10% in 1995 to 33% (95% CI 29–38%) in 1998. Capture-recapture methods are important tools in the evaluation of surveillance systems.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2003 Cambridge University Press