Table 5. Economic costs and productivity losses of West Nile neuroinvasive disease in humans following an epidemic of West Nile virus infection in Belgium, by infection rate scenario among people at risk, estimated at national level, 2012 values.
| Economic impact | 2% infection rate scenario |
15% infection rate scenario |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost in euros | Number of patients | Cost in euros | Number of patients | |
| Visits to a general practitioner | 19,987 | 869a | 150,006 | 6,522a |
| Hospital charges | ||||
| Total | 3,110,645 | 869a | 23,346,714.00 | 6,522a |
| WNND | 2,995,179 | 843b | 22,476,278 | 6,326b |
| AFP | 115,466 | 26c | 870,436 | 196c |
| Other | ||||
| Diagnosis (serology) | 18,249 | 869a | 136,962 | 6,522a |
| Home care (30-day recovery period after hospital discharge) | 1,808,820 | 773d | 13,583,700 | 5,805d |
| Work absenteeism (productivity losses) | 495,924 | 120e | 2,857,613 | 587e |
| Compensation paid to beneficiaries (after the death of a patient) |
940,800 | 96f | 7,026,600 | 717f |
| Total | 6,394,425 | 869a | 47,101,595 | 6,522a |
AFP; acute flaccid paralysis; NA: not applicable; WNND; West Nile neuroinvasive disease.
AFP occurs in 3% of all WNND cases [39]. Hospitalisation costs are 1.25 higher for AFP cases compared with those for WNND cases [35].
a Number of patients consulting a general practitioner (WNND and AFP cases).
b Number of patients hospitalised for WNND.
c Number of patients hospitalised for AFP.
d Number of hospitalised patients who survived and needed homecare after discharge from hospital.
e Number of hospitalised patients, who are active on the labour market (and have a job) and for whom losses due to work absenteeism were estimated.
f Number of deceased patients.