Infectious diseases place big strain on hospitals

By AINSLEY THOMSON

The rate of hospital admissions for people suffering from infectious diseases has risen 60 per cent in 12 years.

A report released today by the Ministry of Health and the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) shows that between 1988 and 2000, hospital admission rates for infectious diseases were second only to childbirth, complications from pregnancy and associated care.

The number of people admitted with such diseases rose from 1537 per 100,000 of the population in 1988 to 2417 in 2000.

Previously, infectious diseases were narrowly classified, meaning some diseases such as meningitis and pneumonia were not classified as infectious.

The report examined records of deaths and hospital admissions and reclassified them by broadening the definition of infectious diseases. The findings are published in the New Zealand Medical Journal.

The researchers, using the new classification, found that between 1980 and 1998 nearly 34,000 people died from infectious diseases. Previously it was believed that only 3500 had died.

Infectious diseases have gone from the 13th leading cause of death to the fourth, behind diseases of the circulatory system, cancer and injury and poisoning.

The report called the issue "a major public health problem".

ESR public health physician Dr Michael Baker, one of the authors of the report, said that mortality rates for other diseases (for example, coronary heart disease) had dropped dramatically over the past two decades, but infectious diseases were almost as big a killer as they were 20 years ago.

Dr Baker said no other cause of hospital admissions had risen by quite so much, and the dramatic increase was unexpected. A lot of factors were responsible.

NZ had performed poorly in controlling infectious diseases, illustrated by the meningitis epidemic and the rise in food and water-borne diseases, he said.

The reports shows infectious diseases mostly affect the young and old, and Maori and Pacific Island people.

Dr Baker said there were some encouraging initiatives under way to control infectious diseases, such as the meningococcal vaccine trial, the healthy housing programme and efforts to tackle immunisation coverage.

The study will be used to develop a national five-year plan for infectious disease control.