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. 2008 Oct;14(10):1546-52.
doi: 10.3201/eid1410.080188.

Deaths from norovirus among the elderly, England and Wales

John P Harris  1 , W John Edmunds, Richard Pebody, David W Brown, Ben A Lopman
Affiliations

Deaths from norovirus among the elderly, England and Wales

John P Harris et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2008 Oct.

Abstract

The number of deaths in England and Wales associated with gastrointestinal pathogens, norovirus in particular, in persons >or=65 years was estimated for 2001-2006. Regression analysis was used to model monthly counts of gastrointestinal pathogens in fecal samples from infected patients against monthly counts of deaths from infectious and noninfectious intestinal diseases. Data came from the Office of National Statistics (death registrations from local registrars) and from the Health Protection Agency (laboratory results). Model results suggest that 20% (13.3%-26.8%) of deaths in persons >or=65 years of age caused by infectious intestinal disease other than Clostridium difficile were associated with norovirus infection in this period and that 13% (7.5%-18.5%) of deaths caused by noninfectious intestinal disease were associated with norovirus. An estimated 80 deaths each year in this age group may be associated with norovirus infection.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Correlation of monthly death reports of infectious and noninfectious intestinal disease, 2001–2006.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Seasonality of positive laboratory reports of viral (A), bacterial (B), and parasitic (C) pathogens, 2001–2006, persons >65 years of age.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Observed and expected monthly deaths in persons >65 years of age from infectious intestinal diseases (A) and noninfectious intestinal diseases (B), derived from the most parsimonious models.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Ratio of viral gastroenteritis–associated death reports to norovirus laboratory reports, 5 seasons.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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