Acute gastroenteritis causes 1.5 million working days to be lost every year in the Republic and Northern Ireland, at a cost of €173.5 million in lost earnings, an all-Ireland study of the problem, to be published today, reveals.
As the first comprehensive research into the problem of acute gastroenteritis in the community, the cross-Border survey suggests there are 35,000 people sick each day with the illness. Children and young adults are most at risk, with an average duration of sickness estimated at four days.
The Acute Gastroenteritis in Ireland, North and South, Survey was carried out over a 12-month period between December 2000 and November 2001. Ten thousand people were asked about their recent experience of gastroenteritis, including its effect on work and school attendance.
Carried out by a steering committee representing food safety agencies in the North and the Republic, as well as the National Disease Surveillance Centre (NDSC), the Northern Ireland Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre and the Department of Public Medicine in UCD, it examines the extent of gastroenteritis in the community and what happens to people when they get the illness.
Acute gastroenteritis is a common but preventable illness. Its symptoms include a combination of diarrhoea and vomiting, and occasionally abdominal pain, cramps and fever. Most cases are caused by viruses, bacteria or infectious agents such as cryptosporidia. Until the publication of the research, the only information on the disease came from doctors and laboratories. With many people not making contact with their doctor and treating themselves, the authors say it is only now possible to understand the full magnitude of the problem and establish the need for prevention initiatives.
"Gastroenteritis is an important public health problem and has a big impact in terms of time off work. We know what works in terms of prevention - the key message is washing our hands," Dr Derval Igoe, chairwoman of the study steering committee and specialist in public health medicine at the NDSC, told The Irish Times. "There is evidence that if you wash your hands properly after being to the toilet and after changing a baby's nappy, you reduce the risk of gastroenteritis by up to 50 per cent," she added.
Dr Igoe said a study into the management of gastroenteritis in general practice was ongoing with results expected next year.
Some 29 per cent of people with acute gastroenteritis sought medical care, the majority seeing their GP and 47 per cent reported taking medication for their symptoms. The majority purchased drugs such as anti-diarrhoeal agents over the counter at a pharmacy. More than one-third were prescribed medication by a doctor.
When asked what they thought caused their illness, one-quarter of those surveyed blamed contaminated food. Almost one in five said they had been in contact with an infected person. Of respondents who suspected contaminated food as a cause of their gastroenteritis, the majority blamed a restaurant or take-away. More than 18 per cent said the source was food from their home.
Among the study's recommendations are:
a need for increased awareness among professionals and the public regarding the appropriate use of antibiotics;
further research to examine the risk factors for acute gastroenteritis; and
a need to find new and innovative ways of getting simple prevention messages to the public.