# 5146
From a joint study between the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP) we’ve a study that looks at the relative societal impacts of various infectious diseases in Ontario, Canada.
I suspect you may find their `top ten’ list a little surprising.
First an excerpt from their press release, then links to an 8 page summary document, and a link to the full 198 page study.
Nearly 5,000 Ontarians die from infectious diseases every year
The Ontario Burden of Infectious Disease Study (ONBOIDS) finds many of top 10 are often overlooked
TORONTO, Dec. 14 /CNW/ - Nearly 5,000 Ontarians die from infectious diseases every year. Many of these infectious diseases get little recognition in terms of public awareness, media attention and resource allocation, says a new study released by the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP) and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES).
Led by Dr. Jeff Kwong, scientist at ICES, and Dr. Natasha Crowcroft, director of surveillance and epidemiology at OAHPP, ONBOIDS is the most comprehensive review of the burden of infectious disease in Ontario to date. The study reviewed data on 51 different infectious diseases to determine their impact on the life and health of Ontarians.
The ten most burdensome infectious diseases in Ontario are:
- Hepatitis C virus
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Hepatitis B virus
- Escherichia coli (E. coli)
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS)
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Influenza
- Clostridium difficile
- Rhinoviruses (common cold)
"Each year, Ontarians seek medical attention for more than seven million episodes of infectious diseases. Infectious diseases are not going away, and we as a society need to realize the impact of a number of these diseases," says Dr. Kwong.
Please click here to read the summary report, or here for the full report.
These reports used Ontario mortality statistics from 2003 to 2005, and illness statistics from 2005 to 2007.
There are a few surprises here, including the ranking of human papillomavirus (HPV) as the infectious disease with the third highest impact.
Hepatitis C and B ranked higher than I suspect many would have expected as well, but the authors suggest that provinces with fewer immigrants might see lower rates of those diseases.
And it is notable that a number of these diseases (MRSA, Clostridium difficile, Streptococcus pneumoniae) are often contracted as hospital acquired infections (HAIs), highlighting the need for better infection control procedures.
Other regions of the world, with dissimilar climates, population demographics, and international travel and immigration patterns would no doubt see a different ordering of their top ten list, with some of these pathogens dropping off, and others moving up.
But for Ontario, and presumably other provinces in Canada, this study should help officials decide where best to put their public health resources.
Going back to the press release, one of the authors sums it up this way:
"It is important to remember that infectious diseases are preventable in many different ways. These findings show where and how we should be concentrating our efforts to get the greatest impact in improving the health of Ontarians. Improvements range from concentrating on immunization programs where vaccinations exist, such as for human papillomavirus, through increasing screening and access to treatment for hepatitis B and C, to developing new ways to fight infectious diseases," says Dr. Crowcroft.
My thanks to Shiloh on FluTrackers for the link that led me to these reports.
