Foodborne bacterial infection and hospitalization: a registry-based study.

BACKGROUND: Foodborne bacterial gastrointestinal infections are important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and despite successful control programs in some developed countries, these infections continue to have a major impact on public health and economy.

METHODS: On the basis of data from 3 national registries, we determined short- and long-term risks of hospitalization due to gastroenteritis, short-term complications, and long-term sequelae after infections with nontyphoid Salmonella enterica, Campylobacter species, Yersinia enterocolitica, diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, and Shigella species.

RESULTS: Among 52,121 patients, 7524 (14.4%) were hospitalized with a diagnosis of gastroenteritis within 90 days after microbiological diagnosis. A total of 4941 patients (17.7%) with infections due to S. enterica and 1937 (10.8%) with infections due to Campylobacter species were admitted to the hospital. Complications, such as gastrointestinal perforation and invasive illness, occurred in 647 patients (1.2%). The risk of invasive illness was > 6-fold higher in patients with infections due to S. enterica (odds ratio [OR] compared with the general population, 30.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 26.2-35.1) than in those with infections due to Campylobacter species (OR, 4.9; 95% CI, 3.5-6.8) (P < .001). Long-term sequelae were seen in 865 patients (1.7%). Among 1000 patients with infections due to S. enterica, 1820 days of hospital stay were attributable to gastroenteritis, complications, and long-term sequelae. The corresponding figure for Campylobacter infections was 714 days.

CONCLUSIONS: Infections with bacteria that are usually foodborne cause considerable morbidity, in terms of severe gastroenteritis that requires admission to hospital, as well as complications and long-term sequelae. The risk of complications and sequelae depends on bacterial species, and nontyphoid Salmonella is particularly associated with a burden of severe morbidity.