1 research outputs found
Magnitude, Distribution, and Estimated Level of Underreporting of Acute Gastroenteritis in Jamaica
Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean. The epidemiology
of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is important to Jamaica, particularly in
the areas of health, tourism, and because of the potential impact on
the local workforce and the economy. Data collected by the National
Surveillance Unit on the prevalence of AGE transmitted by food are not
accurate. To determine the true magnitude, risk factors, and the extent
of underreporting of AGE in Jamaica, we conducted a cross-sectional,
population-based retrospective survey during the periods of 21
February\u20137 March and 14-27 June 2009, corresponding to high- and
low-AGE season respectively. Of the total 1,920 persons selected
randomly by a multistage cluster-sampling process, 1,264 responded
(response rate 65.8%). Trained interviewers administered a
standardized, validated questionnaire during face-to-face interviews.
The overall prevalence of self-reported AGE was 4.0% (95% CI 2.9-5.1)
at a rate of 0.5 episodes/per person-year. The highest monthly
prevalence of AGE (14.6%) was found among the 1-4 year(s) age-group and
the lowest (2.1%) among the 25-44 years age-group. Of the 18 cases
(36%) who sought medical care, 11% were hospitalized, 33% were treated
with antibiotics, and 66.7% received oral rehydration fluids. Only 2
cases who sought medical care reportedly submitted stool specimens. The
mean duration of diarrhoea was 3.1 days, which resulted in a mean loss
of 4 productive days, with over half of the cases requiring someone to
care for them. The burden of syndromic AGE for 2009 was extrapolated to
be 122,711 cases, showing an underreporting factor of 58.9. For every
laboratory-confirmed AGE case, it was estimated that 383 more cases
were occurring in the population. This research confirms that the
prevalence of AGE is underreported in Jamaica and not being adequately
detected by the current surveillance system. The components of the
integrated surveillance system for AGE in Jamaica, particularly the
laboratory aspect, need to be strengthened