title: The Chikungunya epidemic on La Réunion Island in 2005-2006: a cost-of-illness study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was conducted to assess the impact of chikungunya on health costs during the epidemic that occurred on La Réunion in 2005-2006.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From data collected from health agencies, the additional costs incurred by chikungunya in terms of consultations, drug consumption and absence from work were determined by a comparison with the expected costs outside the epidemic period. The cost of hospitalization was estimated from data provided by the national hospitalization database for short-term care by considering all hospital stays in which the ICD-10 code A92.0 appeared. A cost-of-illness study was conducted from the perspective of the third-party payer. Direct medical costs per outpatient and inpatient case were evaluated. The costs were estimated in Euros at 2006 values. Additional reimbursements for consultations with general practitioners and drugs were estimated as € 12.4 million (range: € 7.7 million-€ 17.1 million) and € 5 million (€ 1.9 million-€ 8.1 million), respectively, while the cost of hospitalization for chikungunya was estimated to be € 8.5 million (€ 5.8 million-€ 8.7 million). Productivity costs were estimated as € 17.4 million (€ 6 million-€ 28.9 million). The medical cost of the chikungunya epidemic was estimated as € 43.9 million, 60% due to direct medical costs and 40% to indirect costs (€ 26.5 million and € 17.4 million, respectively). The direct medical cost was assessed as € 90 for each outpatient and € 2,000 for each inpatient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The medical management of chikungunya during the epidemic on La Réunion Island was associated with an important economic burden. The estimated cost of the reported disease can be used to evaluate the cost/efficacy and cost/benefit ratios for prevention and control programmes of emerging arboviruses.
authors.affiliation: Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris, France. smkoumba@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Man-Koumba
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Soumahoro
authors.forename: Pierre-Yves
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Boelle
authors.forename: Bernard-Alex
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Gaüzere
authors.forename: Kokuvi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Atsou
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pelat
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Ruche
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gastellu-Etchegorry
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Renault
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarazin
authors.forename: Yazdan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yazdanpanah
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flahault
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malvy
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hanslik
mesh_terms: D018354:Alphavirus Infections / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D065632:Chikungunya Fever; D017281:Cost of Illness; D006801:Humans; D017508:Reunion / Q000453:epidemiology