Geriatric syndromes were highly prevalent. Many patients did not return to their premorbid function and acquired new syndromes.

Objective-To examine the predictors of long term outcome for patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome.Design-Cohort study. Subjects-139 subjects previously enrolled in two treatment trials; 103 (74%) were reassessed a mean of3-2 years after start ofthe trials.Setting-University hospital referral centre. Main outcome measures-Age at onset, duration ofillness, psychological and immunological status at initial assessment. Ongoing symptom severity, levels of disability, and immunological function at follow up.

multicenter, prospective case-control study involving 1,714 participants >5 years of age was conducted in Australia to identify risk factors for Campylobacter infection. Adjusted population-attributable risks (PARs) were derived for each independent risk factor contained within the fi nal multivariable logistic regression model. Estimated PARs were combined with adjusted (for the >5 years of age eligibility criterion) notifi able disease surveillance data to estimate annual Australian Campylobacter case numbers attributable to each risk factor. Simulated distributions of "credible values" were then generated to model the uncertainty associated with each case number estimate. Among foodborne risk factors, an estimated 50,500 (95% credible interval 10,000-105,500) cases of Campylobacter infection in persons >5 years of age could be directly attributed each year to consumption of chicken in Australia. Our statistical technique could be applied more widely to other communicable diseases that are subject to routine surveillance. F oodborne gastroenteritis is a major public health concern in many countries, including Australia. A recent study estimated that 5.4 million cases (95% credible interval [CrI] 4.0-6.9 million), 15,000 hospitalizations (95% CrI 11,000-18,000), and 80 deaths (95% CrI 40-120) annually are caused by foodborne gastroenteritis in Australia (1). Norovirus, enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Campylobacter spp. accounted for 88% of the estimated 1.5 million (95% CrI 1.0-1.9 million) cases of foodborne disease caused by known pathogens.Among known foodborne pathogens, Campylobacter spp. are the most frequently reported enteric pathogens in Australia (2). The incidence of Campylobacter infection steadily increased from 1991 through 2001 but has been relatively stable since. In 2005, >15,000 cases were reported in Australia, a crude rate of 113.0/100,000 population. However, because of underreporting, ≈223,000 Campylobacter infections are estimated to occur annually; ≈75% of these are foodborne (3). Most of these infections are sporadic.Case-control studies have identifi ed a range of different risk factors for infection; consumption of chicken is the most frequently reported (4-9). Some of these studies report population-attributable fractions associated with independent risk factors, but no estimates of the total magnitude of infection caused by chicken or other risk factors have yet been reported. Using a multicentered, prospective casecontrol study, we aimed to develop a multivariable logistic regression model that identifi ed independent foodborne and nonfoodborne risk factors for Campylobacter infection for this sample (7) and calculate population-attributable risk (PAR) proportions. These PARs were then combined with annual Campylobacter infection surveillance data to estimate the total number of infections (with associated CrIs) among persons >5 years of age attributable to specifi c risk factors that occur in the community each year in Australia.

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