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Infectious diseases in Rome during the Millennium Year
P Giorgi Rossi1, M Sangalli, A Faustini
1Agency for Public Health, Rome, Italy.
Summary
Rome's improved infectious disease surveillance in 2000 detected increased foodborne disease outbreaks (FBDO) and Legionnaires' disease in tourists. However, the millennium year did not impact the overall incidence in the local population.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
- Travel Medicine
Background:
- Rome implemented an enhanced infectious disease surveillance system in 1997, focusing on foodborne disease outbreaks (FBDO), meningitis, and Legionnaires' disease.
- The system aimed to link public health services with diagnostic and laboratory surveillance, including international monitoring for travel-related Legionnaires' disease.
- Specific control measures for FBDOs were also adopted.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of the millennium year (2000) on infectious disease epidemiology in Rome.
- To assess the effectiveness of the improved surveillance system in detecting and managing outbreaks.
- To analyze trends in FBDO, meningitis, and Legionnaires' disease, particularly concerning tourists and pilgrims.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an improved, rapid alert network for infectious disease surveillance, linking public health services with diagnostic and laboratory data.
- Implemented international surveillance for travel-related Legionnaires' disease.
- Analyzed disease incidence data from 2000, comparing it with 1998-99, and identifying cases involving foreign tourists and pilgrims.
Main Results:
- No overall increase in the incidence of monitored infectious diseases was observed in the residential population of Lazio.
- Atypical pathogens were not isolated in FBDOs or meningitis cases during 2000.
- An increase in Legionnaires' disease and FBDOs was noted among foreign tourists (10/4 and 7/2 observed/expected, respectively).
- Three out of six FBDOs involving pilgrims occurred in religious guesthouses.
Conclusions:
- The enhanced surveillance system successfully identified an increase in specific infectious diseases among foreign tourists during the millennium year.
- Despite increased cases in tourists, the millennium year did not significantly affect the epidemiology of infectious diseases in Rome's resident population.
- The findings highlight the importance of targeted surveillance for travelers and specific settings like religious guesthouses.