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Deng LL, Han YJ, Li ZW, Wang DY, Chen T, Ren X, He GX. Epidemiological characteristics of seven notifiable respiratory infectious diseases in the mainland of China: an analysis of national surveillance data from 2017 to 2021. Infect Dis Poverty 2023; 12:99. [PMID: 37953290 PMCID: PMC10642048 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-023-01147-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Respiratory infectious diseases (RIDs) remain a pressing public health concern, posing a significant threat to the well-being and lives of individuals. This study delves into the incidence of seven primary RIDs during the period 2017-2021, aiming to gain deeper insights into their epidemiological characteristics for the purpose of enhancing control and prevention strategies. METHODS Data pertaining to seven notifiable RIDs, namely, seasonal influenza, pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), mumps, scarlet fever, pertussis, rubella and measles, in the mainland of China between 2017 and 2021 were obtained from the National Notifiable Disease Reporting System (NNDRS). Joinpoint regression software was utilized to analyze temporal trends, while SaTScan software with a Poisson probability model was used to assess seasonal and spatial patterns. RESULTS A total of 11,963,886 cases of the seven RIDs were reported during 2017-2021, and yielding a five-year average incidence rate of 170.73 per 100,000 individuals. Among these RIDs, seasonal influenza exhibited the highest average incidence rate (94.14 per 100,000), followed by PTB (55.52 per 100,000), mumps (15.16 per 100,000), scarlet fever (4.02 per 100,000), pertussis (1.10 per 100,000), rubella (0.59 per 100,000), and measles (0.21 per 100,000). Males experienced higher incidence rates across all seven RIDs. PTB incidence was notably elevated among farmers and individuals aged over 65, whereas the other RIDs primarily affected children and students under 15 years of age. The incidences of PTB and measles exhibited a declining trend from 2017 to 2021 (APC = -7.53%, P = 0.009; APC = -40.87%, P = 0.02), while the other five RIDs peaked in 2019. Concerning seasonal and spatial distribution, the seven RIDs displayed distinct characteristics, with variations observed for the same RIDs across different regions. The proportion of laboratory-confirmed cases fluctuated among the seven RIDs from 2017 to 2021, with measles and rubella exhibiting higher proportions and mumps and scarlet fever showing lower proportions. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of PTB and measles demonstrated a decrease in the mainland of China between 2017 and 2021, while the remaining five RIDs reached a peak in 2019. Overall, RIDs continue to pose a significant public health challenge. Urgent action is required to bolster capacity-building efforts and enhance control and prevention strategies for RIDs, taking into account regional disparities and epidemiological nuances. With the rapid advancement of high-tech solutions, the development and effective implementation of a digital/intelligent RIDs control and prevention system are imperative to facilitate precise surveillance, early warnings, and swift responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le-le Deng
- National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Ya-Jun Han
- National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Zhuo-Wei Li
- National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Da-Yan Wang
- National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Tao Chen
- National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China.
| | - Xiang Ren
- Division of Infectious Disease, Key Laboratory of Surveillance and Early-Warning On Infectious Disease, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China.
| | - Guang-Xue He
- National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China.
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Choi S, Chung JW, Chang YJ, Lim EJ, Moon SH, Do HH, Lee JH, Cho SM, Kwon BS, Chung YS, Park SY. A Lesson from a Measles Outbreak among Healthcare Workers in a Single Hospital in South Korea: The Importance of Knowing the Prevalence of Susceptibility. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1505. [PMID: 37766181 PMCID: PMC10535736 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11091505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the high vaccination coverage rate, in-hospital transmission of measles continues to occur in South Korea. We present a measles outbreak in which two healthcare workers (HCWs) with presumptive evidence of measles immunity were infected by a patient with typical measles at a single hospital in South Korea. This facilitated the evaluation of measles seroprevalence in all HCWs. METHODS In 2018, suspected patients and contacts exposed during a measles outbreak were investigated based on their medical histories and vaccination status. Cases were confirmed by the detection of measles-specific immunoglobulin M or RNA. After the measles outbreak in 2018, measles IgG testing was conducted on a total of 972 HCWs for point-prevalence, including those exposed to the measles. In addition, we have routinely performed measles IgG tests on newly employed HCWs within one week of their hire date since 2019. The measles vaccine was administered to HCWs who tested negative or equivocally negative for IgG antibodies. RESULTS An index patient who returned from China with fever and rash was diagnosed with measles at a hospital in Korea. Two additional HCWs were revealed as measles cases: one was vaccinated with the two-dose measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, and the other, who was born in 1967, was presumed to have immunity from natural infection in South Korea. All three patients harbored the same D8 genotype. No additional measles cases were identified among the 964 contacts of secondary patients. A total of 2310 HCWs, including those tested during the 2018 outbreak, underwent measles IgG tests. The average age at the time of the test was 32.6 years, and 74.3% were female. The overall seropositivity of measles was 88.9% (95% confidence interval, 87.5-90.1). Although the birth cohorts between 1985 and 1994 were presumed to have received the measles-rubella (MR) catch-up vaccination in 2001, 175 (89.3%) HCWs were born after 1985 among the 195 seronegative cases. CONCLUSION Despite high population immunity, imported measles transmission occurred among HCWs with presumed immunity. This report underscores the importance of understanding the prevalence of measles susceptibility among newly employed HCWs. This is important for policymaking regarding hospital-wide vaccinations to prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungim Choi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang-si 10326, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea;
- Department of Infection Control, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang-si 10326, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Woo Chung
- Department of Infection Control, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang-si 10326, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang-si 10326, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Jung Chang
- Department of Infection Control, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang-si 10326, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Jung Lim
- Department of Infection Control, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang-si 10326, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Hee Moon
- Department of Infection Control, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang-si 10326, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Han Ho Do
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang-si 10326, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Hun Lee
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang-si 10326, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Min Cho
- Department of Pediatrics, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang-si 10326, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Bum Sun Kwon
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang-si 10326, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon-Seok Chung
- Division of Infectious Disease Diagnosis Control, Honam Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Gwangju 61947, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Yeon Park
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang-si 10326, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea;
- Department of Infection Control, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang-si 10326, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
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Dobson GP. Wired to Doubt: Why People Fear Vaccines and Climate Change and Mistrust Science. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 8:809395. [PMID: 35186977 PMCID: PMC8849212 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.809395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We all want to be right in our thinking. Vaccine hesitancy and global warming denial share much in common: (1) both are threats to personal, community and global health, (2) action is contingent on co-operation and social policy, and (3) public support relies on trust in science. The irony is, however, as the science has become more convincing, public opinion has become more divided. A number of early polls showed that ~70% of people supported COVID-19 vaccine use and global warming, ~20% adopted a wait-and-see approach, and ~10% were staunch objectors. Although these percentages are approximate, what factors are responsible for the differences in engagement, doubt and distrust? How can we reduce the consensus gap? One approach is to return to grass roots and provide a brief history of the issues, understand the difference between fact and opinion, truth and falsehood, the problem of certainty, and how scientific consensus is reached. To doubt is a healthy response to new information, and it too has a scientific basis. Doubt and distrust reside in that region of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for suppressing unwanted representations. Bridging the consensus gap requires shifting human thinking patterns from doubt to belief, and belief to action. Education and improved public messaging are key, and social media providers require urgent oversight or regulation to remove false and harmful/dangerous content from our digital lives. Delays to vaccinate and failure to reduce greenhouse gases will dramatically change the way we live. The new norm may be more deadly COVID variants, strained healthcare systems, extreme weather patterns, diminished food supply, delays in goods and services, damage to world's economies and widespread global instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey P. Dobson
- Heart and Trauma Research Laboratory, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
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