Work

The burden of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness in Italy: a retrospective survey, 2008–2009

Year: 2011

Type: article

Abstract: A retrospective telephone survey (n = 3490) was conducted in Italy between 2008 and 2009 to estimate the occurrence of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) and to describe subjects' recourse to healthcare, using a symptom-based case definition. Three hundred and ten AGI cases were identified. The annual incidence rate was 1.08 episodes/person-year (95% confidence interval 0.90-1.14). The proportion of subjects consulting physicians was 39.5% while only 0.3% submitted a specimen for laboratory investigation. Risk factors for AGI and medical care-seeking were identified using logistic regression analysis. Females, children and young adults had a significantly higher incidence rate of AGI. Factors associated with medical care-seeking were age <10 years, presence of fever, diarrhoea, and duration of illness >3 days. Our results provide a relevant contribution towards estimating the global burden of AGI using standard methods that ensure a good level of comparability with other studies.

Source: Epidemiology and Infection

DOI: 10.1017/s0950268811002020

Authors: G. SCAVIA, F. BALDINELLI, L. BUSANI, A. CAPRIOLI

Institutions: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie

Language: English

Topic: Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology

Subfield: Infectious Diseases

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,550