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  • Assessment of Economic Burd...
    Njau, Joseph; Janta, Denisa; Stanescu, Aurora; Pallas, Sarah S; Pistol, Adriana; Khetsuriani, Nino; Reef, Susan; Ciurea, Daniel; Butu, Cassandra; Wallace, Aaron S; Zimmerman, Laura

    Emerging infectious diseases, 06/2019, Letnik: 25, Številka: 6
    Journal Article

    We estimated the economic impact of concurrent measles and rubella outbreaks in Romania during 2011-2012. We collected costs from surveys of 428 case-patients and caretakers, government records, and health staff interviews. We then estimated financial and opportunity costs. During the study period, 12,427 measles cases and 24,627 rubella cases were recorded; 27 infants had congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). The cost of the outbreaks was US $9.9 million. Cost per case was US $439 for measles, US $132 for rubella, and US $44,051 for CRS. Up to 36% of households needed to borrow money to pay for illness treatment. Approximately 17% of patients continued to work while ill to pay their treatment expenses. Our key study findings were that households incurred a high economic burden compared with their incomes, the health sector bore most costs, and CRS costs were substantial and relevant to include in rubella outbreak cost studies.