title: Estimated community costs of an outbreak of campylobacteriosis resulting from contamination of a public water supply in Darfield, New Zealand.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the economic costs to the community of an outbreak of campylobacteriosis in August 2012 resulting from contamination of a public water supply in Darfield, New Zealand.
  
  
  METHODS
  Probable incidence of waterborne disease was estimated. Reported cases were scrutinised to identify symptoms, duration, hospital admissions and those in the paid workforce. Extra public health and local authority costs were calculated. Estimated time off work was multiplied by the average wage to obtain a conservative estimate of lost production. Sensitivity analysis was used to estimate unreported cases and their associated costs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 138 cases of confirmed or probable campylobacter, of whom 46 sought a medical consultation. Taking into account the usual pyramid of non-notified cases, estimates of the population infected range between approximately 828 and 1987. The dominant societal cost is lost production from time off paid work. Forty-six per cent were in the paid workforce, indicating a total estimated economic cost of at least $714,527 but it could have been as high as $1.26 million, depending on estimates of unreported cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The likely cause of the Darfield outbreak was faecal contamination of the water supply, which with a multi-barrier approach would have been entirely preventable. The results provide economic evidence to support upgrading of water supplies to provide safe water and prevent waterborne disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and General Practice, PO Box 4345, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand. ian.sheerin@otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sheerin
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bartholomew
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brunton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002167:Campylobacter; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply; D055815:Young Adult