Additionally, diarrhoea is a major cause of malnutrition in infants and young children. In the United States of America (USA), for example, around 76 million cases of foodbome diseases, resulting in 325 000 hospitalisations and 5 000 deaths, are estimated to occur each year. In the USA, diseases caused by the major pathogens alone are estimated to cost up to USD 35 billion annually (1997) in medical costs and lost productivity.