Factors associated with seeking medical care and submitting a stool sample in estimating the burden of foodborne illness.

Authors

Scallan E, Jones TF, Cronquist A, et al. 

Institution

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. escallan@cdc.gov

Source

Foodborne Pathog Dis 2006; 3(4) :432-8.

Abstract

Laboratory-based surveillance is a foundation for public health and is essential for determining the incidence of most foodborne diseases caused by bacterial pathogens; however, reported cases represent a subset of infections in the community. To identify the factors associated with seeking medical care and submitting a stool specimen among persons with acute diarrheal illness, we used multivariate logistic regression to analyze data from two 12- month population-based telephone surveys conducted in the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) from 2000 to 2003. Of 31,082 persons interviewed, 5% reported an acute diarrheal illness in the four weeks prior to the interview; of these, 20% sought medical care. On multivariate analysis, among persons with an acute diarrheal illness, factors associated with seeking medical care included: male sex; age <5 or >or=65 years; household income <25,000 dollars; having health insurance; diarrhea duration >or=3 days; having bloody diarrhea, fever, vomiting, sore throat, or cough. Of those seeking medical care, 19% provided a stool sample. Bloody diarrhea (odds ratio [OR] 3.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-9.51) and diarrhea duration >or=3 days (OR 3.81; 95% CI: 1.50-9.69) were the most important factors associated with submission of a stool specimen. Cases of acute diarrheal illness ascertained through laboratory-based public health surveillance are likely to differ systematically from unreported cases and likely over-represent those with bloody diarrhea and longer diarrhea duration.

Mesh

Acute Disease
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Child
Child, Preschool
Cost of Illness
Diarrhea
Feces
Female
Foodborne Diseases
Health Surveys
Humans
Incidence
Logistic Models
Male
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
Sentinel Surveillance
Sex Factors
United States

Language

eng

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

PubMed ID

17199525