Use of expansion factors to estimate the burden of dengue in Southeast Asia: a systematic analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Dengue virus infection is the most common arthropod-borne disease of humans and its geographical range and infection rates are increasing. Health policy decisions require information about the disease burden, but surveillance systems usually underreport the total number of cases. These may be estimated by multiplying reported cases by an expansion factor (EF).

Methods and findings

As a key step to estimate the economic and disease burden of dengue in Southeast Asia (SEA), we projected dengue cases from 2001 through 2010 using EFs. We conducted a systematic literature review (1995-2011) and identified 11 published articles reporting original, empirically derived EFs or the necessary data, and 11 additional relevant studies. To estimate EFs for total cases in countr

SUBMITTER: Undurraga EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3578761 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature