Economic Analysis of Campylobacter Control in the Dutch Broiler Meat Chain

The goal of the CARMA (Campylobacter risk management and assessment) project was to advise the Dutch government on the effectiveness and efficiency of interventions aimed at reducing campylobacteriosis cases in the Netherlands. The burden of disease, expressed in Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and the corresponding cost-of-illness, were estimated using data from epidemiological studies. With the help of a risk assessment model, the reduction in the incidence of Campylobacter infections due to a set of possible interventions in the broiler meat (chicken) chain was modeled. Separately, costs related to the implementation of these interventions in the broiler meat chain were estimated. For each intervention to be modeled, the net costs of an intervention - additional costs in the broiler meat chain minus reduced cost-of-illness - were related to the reduced burden of disease. This resulted in a cost-utility ratio, expressing the relative efficiency of several policy options to reduce Campylobacter infection