摘要:Economic studies require accessible accurate data on the occurrence of the disease being examined. In areas where this data is difficult to obtain, serological studies can provide considerable information. Serological data alone does not provide information on the number of cases of disease that have occurred. However, the annual incidence of seroconversion can be calculated from seroprevalence and, using knowledge of the disease dynamics, the number of cases of disease can be estimated. Where significant mortality due to disease occurs, additional techniques must be used to estimate the numbers that have died. This paper describes the development and application of a method to quantify disease effects from serological data.