Disease burden of selected gastrointestinal pathogens in Australia, 2010

Objective: To estimate and compare disease burden attributable to six gastrointestinal pathogens (norovirus, rotavirus, Campylobacter, non-typhoidal Salmonella, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium) in Australia, 2010. Methods: We estimated the number of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) cases and deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and DALY/case for each pathogen. We included AGE cases that did not require medical care. Sequelae were included for Campylobacter (Guillain–Barré syndrome, reactive arthritis (ReA), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)) and Salmonella (ReA, IBS). Results: We estimated 16 626 069 AGE cases in Australia in 2010 (population 22 million). Of the pathogens studied, most AGE cases were attributed to norovirus (2 180 145), Campylobacter (774 003), and Giardia (614 740). Salmonella caused the fewest AGE cases (71 255) but the most AGE deaths (90). The DALY burden was greatest for Campylobacter (18 222 DALYs) and Salmonella (3856 DALYs), followed by the viral and protozoal pathogens. The average DALY/case was greatest for Salmonella (54.1 DALY/1000 cases), followed by Campylobacter (23.5 DALY/1000 cases). Conclusions: The pathogen causing the greatest disease burden varied according to the metric used, however DALYs are considered most useful given the incorporation of morbidity, mortality, and sequelae. These results can be used to prioritize public health interventions toward Salmonella and Campylobacter infections and to measure the impact of these interventions