BMJ  2003;326:1265-1266 (7 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7401.1265-b

Letter

Mortality associated with foodborne bacterial gastrointestinal infections

Mechanism needs to be explained

The first 100% of the full text of this article appears below.

EDITOR—Helms et al show that gastroenteritis due to one of four common bacterial pathogens increases nearly three times the likelihood of death within a year, even after certain comorbidities are controlled for.¹ There seems intuitively no reason why a clinically self limiting acute gastroenteritis should cause death except (unusually) as an immediate result of the infection. Could the people at greatest risk of these infections have a lifestyle of dependence on fast food and unsatisfactorily cooked or stored food that is associated with greater mortality? Were Helms et al able to compare the lifestyles of their patients and their controls in a way that might show relative social deprivation? Or do the authors think that these four infections may cause death by some specific mechanism in the subsequent 12 months? If so, can they suggest what it is?

Sexually Transmitted and Blood Borne Virus Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory, London NW5 5HT

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Competing interests: None declared.

1. Helms M, Vastrup P, Gerner-Smidt P, Mølbak K. Short and long term mortality associated with foodborne bacterial gastrointestinal infections: registry based study. BMJ 2003;326: 357. (15 February.)[Abstract/Free Full Text]

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Short and long term mortality associated with foodborne bacterial gastrointestinal infections: registry based study • Commentary: matched cohorts can be useful

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