Following the study protocol, during the first year of the study, passive CSCOM-based surveillance was implemented to capture gastroenteritis cases among study participants. The CSCOM is the basic first tier unit that provides primary care in the Malian health system. A secondary level of health care is provided by a series

of CSREFs (Centres de Santé de Reférence) that each serve multiple CSCOMs and have at their disposal more technical staff and logistical support; the CSREF also provides supervision to the CSCOMs. The ultimate, tertiary level of health care resides within the regional hospitals (Bamako District has two), where the most sophisticated level of care that the governmental system can provide is delivered. Selleckchem ABT-737 The study CSCOMs were staffed by MoH physicians 24 h/day, while study clinicians were assigned to work at each CSCOM 7 days/week from 7:30 a.m. through 5:00 p.m., when the vast majority of primary health care consultations occur. Parents and guardians of the participating pediatric subjects were asked to bring the child MI-773 datasheet to the CSCOM if diarrhea or vomiting or other health problems occurred. MoH physicians always initially

examined the study child. If the child had vomiting or diarrhea, he/she was then seen by the study clinician so that study procedures could be performed including clinical confirmation of the gastroenteritis episode, collection of stool samples and completion of the case report form and case management. In the course of the first year of surveillance it became evident that many participants suffering from vomiting and/or ever diarrhea were not coming to the CSCOM to be treated. This problem was initially detected during the monthly household visits when many parents gave a history of their child having had possible gastroenteritis during the previous month but there was no record of that child having been

seen at the CSCOM. Upon more detailed questioning, it was learned that most of these children with gastroenteritis were brought to traditional healers for treatment rather than being taken to the CSCOM. In addition, a Health Attitudes and Utilization Survey conducted in Bamako in late 2007 for another study illustrated that the first point of contact for families with diarrhoeal illness is the traditional healer (our own unpublished data). Concluding that many RVGE cases were missed during the first year of surveillance, we instituted a semi-active surveillance system during the second year of the study which involved re-training the study personnel to make weekly visits to study households to remind family members of the importance of study staff examining children when they develop diarrhea or vomiting.