摘要：This issue of Communicable Diseases Intelligence contains several reports highlighting the impor-tance of enteric infections. Infections spread via the faecal-oral route result in significant social and economic costs, regardless of a country's level of industrialisation.1In Australia, the burden of disease transmitted by contaminated food was estimated to cost AUD$1.2 billion annually.2Data from the OzFoodNet network (www.ozfoodnet.gov.au) was critical to estimating these costs, which are largely driven by lost productivity due to people taking time off work as a result of their own illness or to care for someone else who was ill. OzFoodNet is a national network of epidemiologists, which has dramatically improved public health action for enteric infections.3A simple example of how OzFoodNet has improved the surveillance of enteric infections is shown in the number of out-breaks of gastroenteritis and foodborne disease reported over time. In 2002, OzFoodNet reported 513 foodborne and gastrointestinal outbreaks com-pared with 1,640 outbreaks in 2010, indicating a much-matured surveillance system
