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Volume 6, Number 3—June 2000
Dispatch

Costs and Benefits of a Subtype-Specific Surveillance System for Identifying Escherichia coli O157:H7 Outbreaks

Elamin H. Elbasha*Comments to Author , Thomas D. Fitzsimmons*†, and Martin I. Meltzer*
Author affiliations: *Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; and †Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver, Colorado, USA

Main Article

Table 2

Assumptions about disease severity following an Escherichia coli O157:H7 infectiona

Severity category Assumptions
No. 1 Patient does not seek medical care, recovers, and misses 2 days of work
No. 2 Patient seeks medical care for hemorrhagic colitis, has one laboratory test, recovers, and misses 4 days of work
No. 3 Patient is hospitalized for hemorrhagic colitis for 6.5 days and recovers after missing 14 days of work
No. 4 Patient is hospitalized for hemorrhagic colitis for 6.5 days, misses 14 days of work, and dies in the first year
No. 5 Patient is hospitalized for acute HUSb for 5 days in ICUc and 10 days in a regular room, and recovers after missing 32 days of work
No. 6 Patient is hospitalized for acute HUSb for 5 days in ICUc and 10 days in a regular room, requires dialysis for 12 days, and recovers after missing 32 days of work
No. 7 Patient is hospitalized for hemorrhagic colitis; comes down with chronic HUSb; may require dialysis, transplants, or drug therapy; cannot work for an extended period; and recovers
No. 8 Patient is hospitalized for hemorrhagic colitis; comes down with chronic HUSb; may require dialysis, transplants, or drug therapy; cannot work for an extended period; and dies
No. 9 Patient is hospitalized for acute HUSb for 5 days in ICUc and 10 days in a regular room and dies after missing 32 days of work

aAdapted from Buzby et al (4). A patient is defined as a person infected with E. coli O157:H7 who has at least a gastrointestinal illness for more than 1 day.
bHUS, hemolytic uremic syndrome.
cICU, intensive care unit.

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