title: Disease burden of selected gastrointestinal pathogens in Australia, 2010.
abstract: 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 16626069 AGE cases in Australia in 2010 (population 22 million). Of the pathogens studied, most AGE cases were attributed to norovirus (2180145), Campylobacter (774003), and Giardia (614740). Salmonella caused the fewest AGE cases (71255) but the most AGE deaths (90). The DALY burden was greatest for Campylobacter (18222 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: Katherine.Gibney@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Katherine B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Gibney
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Toole
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leder
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D029322:Norovirus; D000091402:Prohibitins; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality
keywords: Australia; Burden of illness; DALY; Gastroenteritis