Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The aim of the study was to estimate the number of cases of gastro-enteritis, or infectious intestinal diseases (IID) occurring in the population of England, and to find out how many people with IID consulted their GPs and how these numbers compared with the numbers in national surveillance. Because it is impossible to separate out with any precision those cases of IID which result from food poisoning and those resulting from other causes, the study necessarily addressed all cases of IID and not merely the cases caused by eating contaminated food. Therefore, also included in the study were cases infected with pathogens known to be spread predominantly from person to person, and those infected with pathogens usually held responsible for food poisoning, as well as those cases who, although clinically suffering from IID, had no pathogen found in their stools. The study attempted to estimate the accuracy of laboratory reporting to the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) and Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC); it did not attempt to determine the accuracy of national food poisoning statistics, which depend upon statutory notifications by doctors on the basis of clinical suspicion. The specific objectives of the study were: to estimate the number and aetiology of cases of IID in the population, presenting to GPs, and having stool specimens sent routinely for laboratory examination; to compare these numbers and the aetiologies with those recorded by the national laboratory surveillance system; to estimate the prevalence of asymptomatic infection with agents associated with IID; to document differences between cases of IID (in the population and presenting to GPs) and similar but well people (controls); to estimate the socio-economic burden of IID and its distribution, determine how much respondents would be willing to pay for safer food and who they held responsible for food...