ABSTRACT
This chapter provides estimates of the losses to individuals resulting from the outbreak of giardiasis described in chapter 5. Two categories of losses are estimated—those due to illness and those due to actions taken by individuals to avoid drinking contaminated water. Estimates of losses are presented for three scenarios, which differ by the wage rates used to value loss of work and of leisure activities due to illness and by the time spent on activities, such as boiling water and obtaining bottled water, to avoid becoming ill (what is called averting or avoidance activities). A comparison of losses for the different scenarios demonstrates the sensitivity of estimates to alternative assumptions, and also the range in estimates.
