During 2009-2014, I investigated the burden of gastrointestinal infections in Poland and Europe. This work was funded from the Med-Vet-Net and POLYMOD projects.
Burden of gastrointestinal infections
During 2009-2014, I investigated the burden of gastrointestinal infections in Poland and Europe. First, we carried out cohort studies in several European countries to measure the incidence of gastrointestinal infections by asking randomly selected respondents each month, for 12 months. In parallel, we organised in Poland a healthcare utilisation survey in few dozens healthcare facilities to check how patients with GI symptoms are handled. We found that although the costs of these episodes are low, they are so common as they place a high burden to the society. This work was funded from the Med-Vet-Net and POLYMOD projects.
Why does it matter?
These type of investigations are very important to prioritise infectious disease burden. There is increasing evidence that mild infections causing gastroenteritis or respiratory symptoms, place the highest burden to developed societies... One of the reasons is that many devastating diseases which caused high mortality, have been well controlled in the XXI century.
Related to
How common are gastrointestinal infections?
Baumann-Popczyk A, et al. Epidemiol Infect 2011 Sep 19:1-12.
Haagsma JA, et al. Epidemiol Infect 2013; 141(8): 1625-39.
What is the healthcare management of patients with gastrointestinal infections?
Stefanoff P, et al. Epidemiol Infect 2013; 141(4): 859-67.
Czech M, et al. Value Health Reg Issues 2013; 2(2): 210-217.