Underreporting of human alveolar echinococcosis, Germany.
We estimated the total number of human alveolar echinococcosis cases in Germany from 2003 through 2005 using the multiple source capture-recapture method. We found a 3-fold higher incidence of the disease than that shown by national surveillance data. We propose a revision of the reporting system to increase case ascertainment.
Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany. pernille.jorgensen@gmail.com
Pernille
P
Jorgensen
Matthias
M
an der Heiden
Petra
P
Kern
Irene
I
Schöneberg
Gérard
G
Krause
Katharina
K
Alpers
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018563:Disease Notification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity