Direct outpatient cost per case of acute gastroenteritis in Trinidad and Tobago, 2021.

The burdens associated with acute gastroenteritis involve billions of dollars in expenses, coupled with significant morbidity and mortality globally. To reduce these burdens, health officials and policymakers require up-to-date data (health and economic) to request and allocate resources in guiding the development and implementation of preventative strategies. In 2021, the estimate for one case of acute gastroenteritis was calculated using multiple sources of data: the 2009 national health burden survey on acute gastroenteritis; a 2021 telephone survey of five major private hospitals; a 2021 telephone survey of 30 private pharmacies; and the 2021 Minimum Wages Act of Trinidad and Tobago.

Detection of Foodborne Pathogens in Acute Gastroenteritis Patient's Stool Samples Using the BioFire FilmArray Gastrointestinal PCR Panel in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies.

In 2009, the burden of illness study for acute gastroenteritis in Trinidad and Tobago highlighted that ~10% of stool samples tested were positive for a foodborne pathogen. The study also noted that limited laboratory screening for pathogens contributed to a lack of etiology as public health hospitals only routinely tested for and , and sometimes for and . To better understand the foodborne pathogens responsible for acute gastroenteritis, enhanced testing using the BioFire FilmArray Gastrointestinal PCR panel was used to screen diarrheal stool samples for 22 pathogens from patients in 2018.

Burden and impact of acute gastroenteritis and foodborne pathogens in Trinidad and Tobago.

Objectives of this study were to determine the burden and impact of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and foodborne pathogens in Trinidad and Tobago. A retrospective, cross-sectional population survey, based on self-reported cases of AGE, was conducted in November-December 2008 and May-June 2009 (high- and low-AGE season respectively) by face-to-face interviews. From 2,145 households selected to be interviewed, the response rate was 99.