Drinking Water Quality and the Geospatial Distribution of Notified Gastro-Intestinal Infections

GRILC, Eva; GALE, Ivanka; VERŠIC, Aleš; ŽAGAR, Tina; SOCAN, Maja

The data derived from the surveillance of communicable diseases showed that acute gastrointestinal infections cause a considerable burden in Slovenia. In 2010, the incidence rate of notified cases with gastrointestinal communicable disease was app. 1000 per 100 000 inhabitants (21). The real burden is probably much higher as many patients with acute gastroenterocolitis do not seek medical help, as vomiting or diarrhoea are mostly self-limiting and of short duration. Even when the patient consults the doctor -e.g. suffering from a more severe disease, or simply in need of the certificate for a sick-leave -the obligation to notify is probably often overlooked by the physician. Children younger than four years of age account for more than half of all the notified cases. Babies and toddlers with vomiting and/or diarrhoea are prone to dehydrate quickly and their parents are thus more eager to visit the doctor's office.