Underreporting of Human Alveolar Echinococcosis, Germany

Abstract

We estimated the total number of human alveolar echinococcosis cases in Germany from 2003 through 2005 using the multiple source capture-recapture method. We found a 3-fold higher incidence of the disease than that shown by national surveillance data. We propose a revision of the reporting system to increase case ascertainment.

Keywords

• Human alveolar echinococcosis
• capture-recapture
• surveillance
• dispatch
• Germany