title: Community-acquired Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, Montréal, 2005-2006: frequency estimates and their validity.
abstract: A retrospective search for community-acquired Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in 15 hospitals revealed important discrepancies with numbers for the same period reported in real time to the surveillance system. Several of the observed problems could be solved by implementing case-by-case notification with subsequent investigation by local public health, as for other reportable diseases.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Department, Montréal Health and Social Services Agency, Montréal, Québec, Canada. rallard@santepub-mtl.qc.ca
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Allard
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dascal
authors.forename: Bakary
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Camara
authors.forename: Josiane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Létourneau
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Valiquette
mesh_terms: D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance