Notifiable Respiratory Infectious Diseases in China: A Spatial-Temporal Epidemiology Analysis

Spatial-temporal evolution patterns of influenza incidence in Xinjiang Prefecture from 2014 to 2023 based on GIS

Using GIS technology, this study investigated the spatiotemporal distribution pattern of influenza incidence in Xinjiang from 2014 to 2023 based on influenza surveillance data. The study revealed a noticeable fluctuation trend in influenza incidence rates in Xinjiang, particularly notable spikes observed in 2019 and 2023. The results of the 3-year moving average showed a significant long-term upward trend in influenza incidence rates, confirmed by Theil-Sen method (MAD = 2.202, p < 0.01). Global spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated significant positive spatial autocorrelation in influenza incidence rates from 2016 and from 2018 to 2023 (Moran's I > 0, P < 0.05). Local spatial autocorrelation analysis further revealed clustering patterns in different regions, with high-high clustering and low-high clustering predominating in northern Xinjiang, and low-low clustering predominating in southern Xinjiang. Hotspot analysis indicated a progressive rise in the number of influenza incidence hotspots, primarily concentrated in northern Xinjiang, particularly in Urumqi, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, and Hotan Prefecture. Standard deviation ellipse analysis and the trajectory of influenza incidence gravity center migration showed that the transmission range of influenza in Xinjiang has been expanding, with the epidemic center gradually moving northward. The spatiotemporal heterogeneity of influenza incidence in Xinjiang highlights the need for differentiated and precise influenza prevention and control strategies in different regions to address the changing trends in influenza prevalence.

Understanding Mumps Dynamics: Epidemiological Traits and Breakthrough Infections in the Population under 15 Years of Age in Jiangsu Province, China, 2023

Despite coverage of two doses of mumps-containing vaccines, mumps epidemics persist among children and young adults in China. This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of mumps in Jiangsu Province, with a particular focus on breakthrough cases among high-incidence groups. Mumps cases reported in 2023 were systematically collected from the Infectious Disease Surveillance and Reporting System. A comprehensive descriptive epidemiological analysis was performed to elucidate the characteristics of the reported cases. A joinpoint regression (JPR) model was utilized to identify the temporal trends across various periods. Subsequently, immunization information for cases under 15 years of age was obtained through the Jiangsu Province Vaccination Integrated Service Management Information System to identify breakthrough cases and conduct exploratory analyses. A total of 4142 mumps cases were reported in Jiangsu Province in 2023, yielding an annual incidence rate of 4.86/100,000. A total of 81.75% of the cases were students and childcare children, and the gender ratio was 1.5:1 (male/female). The JPR model analysis of weekly reported cases identified five distinct trend segments (1st: 1-8, weekly percent change (WPC) = 26.67 *; 2nd: 9-28, WPC = 3.11 *; 3rd: 29-34, WPC = -5.31; 4th: 35-37, WPC = 15.48; 5th: 38-52, WPC = -4.06 *), and the gender subgroups demonstrated similar trends to the overall pattern. Notably, 89.14% (3692/4142) of the total cases were among individuals under 15 years, with 96.02% (3545/3692) having been vaccinated against mumps. The number of single-dose breakthrough cases (SdBCs) was approximately fourfold (2847/698) that of two-dose breakthrough cases (TdBCs). The main population composition of TdBCs was children aged 0-5 years old, and the classification was dominated by childcare children and scattered children. The median time interval between initial immunization and onset were shorter in TdBCs than in the SdBCs group, and the median time interval between the last immunization and onset was interestingly similarly shorter. However, these situations were interestingly reversed in 105 laboratory-confirmed breakthrough cases. Therefore, the current vaccination strategies have demonstrated tangible effectiveness in preventing and controlling mumps. However, the high incidence of breakthrough cases among high-risk pediatric populations indicates that mumps immunization strategies still deserve more attention and research for better herd protection.

Spatiotemporal analysis and seasonality of tuberculosis in Pudong New Area of Shanghai, China, 2014-2023

BACKGROUND

Spatiotemporal analysis is a vital method that plays an indispensable role in monitoring epidemiological changes in diseases and identifying high-risk clusters. However, there is still a blank space in the spatial and temporal distribution of tuberculosis (TB) incidence rate in Pudong New Area, Shanghai. Consequently, it is crucial to comprehend the spatiotemporal distribution of TB in this district, this will guide the prevention and control of TB in the district.

METHODS

Our research used Geographic Information System (GIS) visualization, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and space-time scan analysis to analyze the TB incidence reported in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai from 2014 to 2023, and described the spatiotemporal clustering and seasonal hot spot distribution of TB incidence.

RESULTS

From 2014 to 2023, the incidence of TB in the Pudong New Area decreased, and the mortality was at a low level. The incidence of TB in different towns/streets has declined. The spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed that the incidence of TB was spatially clustered in 2014, 2016-2018, and 2022, with the highest clusters in 2014 and 2022. The high clustering area was mainly concentrated in the northeast. The space-time scan analysis indicated that the most likely cluster was located in 12 towns/streets, with a period of 2014-2018 and a radiation radius of 15.74 km. The heat map showed that there was a correlation between TB incidence and seasonal variations.

CONCLUSIONS

From 2014 to 2023, the incidence of TB in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai declined, but there were spatiotemporal clusters and seasonal correlations in the incidence area. Local departments should formulate corresponding intervention measures, especially in high-clustering areas, to achieve accurate prevention and control of TB within the most effective time and scope.

The epidemic forest reveals the spatial pattern of the spread of acute respiratory infections in Jakarta, Indonesia

Acute respiratory infection (ARI) is a communicable disease of the respiratory tract that implies impaired breathing. The infection can expand from one to the neighboring areas at a region-scale level through a human mobility network. Specific to this study, we leverage a record of ARI incidences in four periods of outbreaks for 42 regions in Jakarta to study its spatio-temporal spread using the concept of the epidemic forest. This framework generates a forest-like graph representing an explicit spread of disease that takes the onset time, spatio-temporal distance, and case prevalence into account. To support this framework, we use logistic curves to infer the onset time of the outbreak for each region. The result shows that regions with earlier onset dates tend to have a higher burden of cases, leading to the idea that the culprits of the disease spread are those with a high load of cases. To justify this, we generate the epidemic forest for the four periods of ARI outbreaks and identify the implied dominant trees (that with the most children cases). We find that the primary infected city of the dominant tree has a relatively higher burden of cases than other trees. In addition, we can investigate the timely ( R t ) and spatial reproduction number ( R c ) by directly evaluating them from the inferred graphs. We find that R t for dominant trees are significantly higher than non-dominant trees across all periods, with regions in western Jakarta tend to have higher values of R c . Lastly, we provide simulated-implied graphs by suppressing 50% load of cases of the primary infected city in the dominant tree that results in a reduced R c , suggesting a potential target of intervention to depress the overall ARI spread.

Spatiotemporal analysis of foot and mouth disease outbreaks in cattle and small ruminants in Türkiye between 2010 and 2019

Determining the dynamics associated with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks is important for being able to develop effective strategic plans against the disease. In this direction, spatiotemporal analysis of FMD virus (FMDV) epidemic data that occurred in Türkiye between 2010 and 2019 was carried out. Spatiotemporal analysis was performed by the space-time scan statistic using data from a total of 7,796 FMD outbreaks. Standard deviational ellipse analysis (SDE) was performed to analyse the directional trend of FMD. Five, six, and three significant and high-risk clusters were identified by the space-time cluster analysis for serotypes A, O, and Asia-1, respectively. The SDE analysis indicated that direction of FMD transmission was northeast to southwest. A significant decrease in the number of outbreaks and cases were observed between 2014 and 2019 compared to 2010-2013 (p = 0.010). Most of the serotype A, serotype O, and serotype Asia-1 associated FMD outbreaks were observed during the dry season (April to September). Among FMD cases, cattle and small ruminants accounted for 80.75% (180,932 cases) and 19.25% (43,116 cases), respectively. Among the serotypes detected in the cases, the most frequently detected serotype was serotype O (50.84%), followed by serotypes A (35.67%) and Asia-1 (13.49%). The results obtained in this study may contribute to when and where control programs could be implemented more efficiently for the prevention and control of FMD. Developing risk-defined regional control plans by taking into account the current livestock production including uncontrolled animal movements in border regions, rural livestock, livestock trade between provinces are recommended.

Epidemiological features of seasonal influenza transmission among 11 climate zones in Chinese Mainland

BACKGROUND

Previous studies provided some evidence of meteorological factors influence seasonal influenza transmission patterns varying across regions and latitudes. However, research on seasonal influenza activities based on climate zones are still in lack. This study aims to utilize the ecological-based Köppen Geiger climate zones classification system to compare the spatial and temporal epidemiological characteristics of seasonal influenza in Chinese Mainland and assess the feasibility of developing an early warning system.

METHODS

Weekly influenza cases number from 2014 to 2019 at the county and city level were sourced from China National Notifiable Infectious Disease Report Information System. Epidemic temporal indices, time series seasonality decomposition, spatial modelling theories including Moran's I and local indicators of spatial association were applied to identify the spatial and temporal patterns of influenza transmission.

RESULTS

All climate zones had peaks in Winter-Spring season. Arid, desert, cold (BWk) showed up the first peak. Only Tropical, savannah (Aw) and Temperate, dry winter with hot summer (Cwa) zones had unique summer peak. Temperate, no dry season and hot summer (Cfa) zone had highest average incidence rate (IR) at 1.047/100,000. The Global Moran's I showed that average IR had significant clustered trend (z = 53.69, P < 0.001), with local Moran's I identified high-high cluster in Cfa and Cwa. IR differed among three age groups between climate zones (0-14 years old: F = 26.80, P < 0.001; 15-64 years old: F = 25.04, P < 0.001; Above 65 years old: F = 5.27, P < 0.001). Age group 0-14 years had highest average IR in Cwa and Cfa (IR = 6.23 and 6.21) with unique dual peaks in winter and spring season showed by seasonality decomposition.

CONCLUSIONS

Seasonal influenza exhibited distinct spatial and temporal patterns in different climate zones. Seasonal influenza primarily emerged in BWk, subsequently in Cfa and Cwa. Cfa, Cwa and BSk pose high risk for seasonal influenza epidemics. The research finds will provide scientific evidence for developing seasonal influenza early warning system based on climate zones.

Epidemiological characteristics of seven notifiable respiratory infectious diseases in the mainland of China: an analysis of national surveillance data from 2017 to 2021

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.

Estimation of the relationship between meteorological factors and measles using spatiotemporal Bayesian model in Shandong Province, China

BACKGROUND

Measles-containing vaccine (MCV) has been effective in controlling the spread of measles. Some countries have declared measles elimination. But recently years, the number of cases worldwide has increased, posing a challenge to the global goal of measles eradication. This study estimated the relationship between meteorological factors and measles using spatiotemporal Bayesian model, aiming to provide scientific evidence for public health policy to eliminate measles.

METHODS

Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on monthly data of measles and meteorological variables in 136 counties of Shandong Province from 2009 to 2017. Spatiotemporal Bayesian model was used to estimate the effects of meteorological factors on measles, and to evaluate measles risk areas at county level. Case population was divided into multiple subgroups according to gender, age and occupation. The effects of meteorological factors on measles in subgroups were compared.

RESULTS

Specific meteorological conditions increased the risk of measles, including lower relative humidity, temperature, and atmospheric pressure; higher wind velocity, sunshine duration, and diurnal temperature variation. Taking lowest value (Q1) as reference, RR (95%CI) for higher temperatures (Q2-Q4) were 0.79 (0.69-0.91), 0.54 (0.44-0.65), and 0.48 (0.38-0.61), respectively; RR (95%CI) for higher relative humidity (Q2-Q4) were 0.76 (0.66-0.88), 0.56 (0.47-0.67), and 0.49 (0.38-0.63), respectively; RR (95%CI) for higher wind velocity (Q2-Q4) were 1.43 (1.25-1.64), 1.85 (1.57-2.18), 2.00 (1.59-2.52), respectively. 22 medium-to-high risk counties were identified, mainly in northwestern, southwestern and central Shandong Province. The trend was basically same in the effects of meteorological factors on measles in subgroups, but the magnitude of the effects was different.

CONCLUSIONS

Meteorological factors have an important impact on measles. It is crucial to integrate these factors into public health policies for measles prevention and control in China.

Estimation of influenza incidence and analysis of epidemic characteristics from 2009 to 2022 in Zhejiang Province, China

Background

Influenza infection causes a huge burden every year, affecting approximately 8% of adults and approximately 25% of children and resulting in approximately 400,000 respiratory deaths worldwide. However, based on the number of reported influenza cases, the actual prevalence of influenza may be greatly underestimated. The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence rate of influenza and determine the true epidemiological characteristics of this virus.

Methods

The number of influenza cases and the prevalence of ILIs among outpatients in Zhejiang Province were obtained from the China Disease Control and Prevention Information System. Specimens were sampled from some cases and sent to laboratories for influenza nucleic acid testing. Random forest was used to establish an influenza estimation model based on the influenza-positive rate and the percentage of ILIs among outpatients. Furthermore, the moving epidemic method (MEM) was applied to calculate the epidemic threshold for different intensity levels. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to identify the annual change in influenza incidence. The seasonal trends of influenza were detected by wavelet analysis.

Results

From 2009 to 2021, a total of 990,016 influenza cases and 8 deaths were reported in Zhejiang Province. The numbers of estimated influenza cases from 2009 to 2018 were 743,449, 47,635, 89,026, 132,647, 69,218, 190,099, 204,606, 190,763, 267,168 and 364,809, respectively. The total number of estimated influenza cases is 12.11 times the number of reported cases. The APC of the estimated annual incidence rate was 23.33 (95% CI: 13.2 to 34.4) from 2011 to 2019, indicating a constant increasing trend. The intensity levels of the estimated incidence from the epidemic threshold to the very high-intensity threshold were 18.94 cases per 100,000, 24.14 cases per 100,000, 141.55 cases per 100,000, and 309.34 cases per 100,000, respectively. From the first week of 2009 to the 39th week of 2022, there were a total of 81 weeks of epidemics: the epidemic period reached a high intensity in 2 weeks, the epidemic period was at a moderate intensity in 75 weeks, and the epidemic period was at a low intensity in 2 weeks. The average power was significant on the 1-year scale, semiannual scale, and 115-week scale, and the average power of the first two cycles was significantly higher than that of the other cycles. In the period from the 20th week to the 35th week, the Pearson correlation coefficients between the time series of influenza onset and the positive rate of pathogens, including A(H3N2), A (H1N1)pdm2009, B(Victoria) and B(Yamagata), were - 0.089 (p = 0.021), 0.497 (p < 0.001), -0.062 (p = 0.109) and - 0.084 (p = 0.029), respectively. In the period from the 36th week of the first year to the 19th week of the next year, the Pearson correlation coefficients between the time series of influenza onset and the positive rate of pathogens, including A(H3N2), A (H1N1)pdm2009, B(Victoria) and B(Yamagata), were 0.516 (p < 0.001), 0.148 (p < 0.001), 0.292 (p < 0.001) and 0.271 (p < 0.001), respectively.

Conclusion

The disease burden of influenza has been seriously underestimated in the past. An appropriate method for estimating the incidence rate of influenza may be to comprehensively consider the influenza-positive rate as well as the percentage of ILIs among outpatients. The intensity level of the estimated incidence from the epidemic threshold to the very high-intensity threshold was calculated, thus yielding a quantitative standard for judging the influenza prevalence level in the future. The incidence of influenza showed semi-annual peaks in Zhejiang Province, including a main peak from December to January of the next year followed by a peak in summer. Furthermore, the driving factors of the influenza peaks were preliminarily explored. While the peak in summer was mainly driven by pathogens of A(H3N2), the peak in winter was alternately driven by various pathogens. Our research suggests that the government urgently needs to address barriers to vaccination and actively promote vaccines through primary care providers.

Epidemiological Characteristics of Notifiable Respiratory Infectious Diseases in Mainland China from 2010 to 2018

Respiratory infectious diseases (RIDs) pose threats to people's health, some of which are serious public health problems. The aim of our study was to explore epidemic situations regarding notifiable RIDs and the epidemiological characteristics of the six most common RIDs in mainland China. We first collected the surveillance data of all 12 statutory notifiable RIDs for 31 provinces in mainland China that reported between 2010 and 2018, and then the six most prevalent RIDs were selected to analyze their temporal, seasonal, spatiotemporal and population distribution characteristics. From 2010 to 2018, there were 13,985,040 notifiable cases and 25,548 deaths from RIDs in mainland China. The incidence rate of RIDs increased from 109.85/100,000 in 2010 to 140.85/100,000 in 2018. The mortality from RIDs ranged from 0.18/100,000 to 0.24/100,000. The most common RIDs in class B were pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), pertussis, and measles, while those in class C were seasonal influenza, mumps and rubella. From 2010 to 2018, the incidence rate of PTB and rubella decreased; however, pertussis and seasonal influenza increased, with irregular changes in measles and mumps. The mortality from PTB increased from 2015 to 2018, and the mortality from seasonal influenza changed irregularly. PTB was mainly prevalent among people over 15 years old, while the other five common RIDs mostly occurred among people younger than 15 years old. The incidence of the six common RIDs mostly occurred in winter and spring, and they were spatiotemporally clustered in different areas and periods. In conclusion, PTB, seasonal influenza and mumps remain as public health problems in China, suggesting that continuous government input, more precise interventions, and a high-tech digital/intelligent surveillance and warning system are required to rapidly identify emerging events and timely response.

Spatiotemporal and seasonality analysis of sheep and goat pox (SGP) disease outbreaks in Turkey between 2010 and 2019

Sheep and goat pox (SGP) is a highly infectious disease with a high case fatality rate. It causes serious economic losses and decreases productivity in infected facilities and contact areas. As in many countries of the world, SGP outbreaks reported from Turkey to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) continue to threaten animal health. Therefore, studies that will guide the production of effective policies to prevent and control SGP are extremely important. This study aims at evaluating the spatiotemporal distribution of SGP outbreaks by geographical information system (GIS)-based analyses. In accordance with this purpose, spatiotemporal scan analyses were applied to reveal the spatiotemporal distribution pattern and transmission of SGP outbreaks reported in Turkey between 2010 and 2019. Space-time cluster analysis revealed 4 several clusters, indicating geographic areas at the highest risk. Spatiotemporal clusters were 6 to 11 times more likely to be exposed to SGP than the general distribution. The average spatiotemporal density of outbreaks in clusters was estimated as 0.20 ± 0.07 outbreaks per 1000 km² per month. Seasonal analysis and time series analysis showed similar findings. The seasonality of SGP was mainly defined in the winter (from December to February) when the seasonal adjusted factor (SAF) was at a peak of 504.6. In addition, February had the highest SAF with 7.1. Directional distribution analysis showed that the transmission of SGP was oriented between northeast (NE)-southwest (SW) and northwest (NW)-southeast (SE) and that distribution was changed every 2 years. These findings present a basis for the effective monitoring and prevention of SGP and provide valuable information to policymakers.

Spatial Effect of Ecological Environmental Factors on Mumps in China during 2014-2018

(1) Background: although mumps vaccines have been introduced in most countries around the world in recent years, mumps outbreaks have occurred in countries with high vaccination rates. At present, China remains the focus of the global fight against mumps. This study aims to observe the epidemic characteristics and spatial clustering patterns of mumps and to investigate the potential factors affecting the disease incidence, which could provide novel ideas and avenues for future research as well as the prevention and control of mumps. (2) Methods: we used ArcGIS software to visualize the spatial distribution and variation of mumps. Spatial autocorrelation analysis was applied to detect the spatial dependence and clustering patterns of the incidence. We applied the Spatial Durbin Panel Model (SDPM) to explore the spatial associations of ecological environmental factors with mumps. (3) Results: overall, the incidence rate showed a significant upward trend from 2014 to 2018, with the highest number of cases in the 10-15-year age group and from May to June. Geographically, the high incidence clusters were concentrated in southern regions, including Hunan, Hubei, Chongqing, Guizhou, Guangdong, and Guangxi. This study also found that mumps has a positive spatial spillover effect in the study area. The average temperature and GDP of the local and adjacent areas have a significant impact on mumps. The increase in PM2.5 contributes to the rise in the incidence of mumps in this region. (4) Conclusions: these results can offer some novel ideas for policymakers and researchers. Local meteorological conditions and economic levels can extend to surrounding areas to affect the occurrence of mumps, so regional cooperation becomes particularly important. We recommend investment of public health funds in areas with a high incidence of mumps and developing economies to reduce and control the incidence of mumps.

Anti-inflammatory, antipyretic efficacy and safety of inhaled Houttuynia cordata thunb. essential oil formulation

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (H. cordata) is a well-known folk traditional Chinese medicine that is renowned for its use in the management of inflammatory respiratory diseases and pneumonia. Its essential oils have demonstrated their anti-inflammatory efficacy in vitro, however, their in vivo biological effects via inhalation have not been elucidated.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aims to evaluate the anti-inflammation and toxicology of H. cordata essential oil-containing formulation, H16 aerosol in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A laser diffraction particle size analyser and a Next Generation Impactor were used to measure the mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of the H16 aerosol. The anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects of the H16 aerosol were evaluated in the xylene-evoked ear oedema and Brewer's yeast-induced fever models, respectively. The biological safety of the H16 aerosol was evaluated by acute toxicity and local toxicity tests in animal models.

RESULTS

Our data showed that the MMAD of the bioactive aerosol was 3-5 μm, which implied tracheal and pharyngeal deposits. Significant anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects were also observed in the animal models treated with H16 aerosol. The maximum tolerable dose of H16 in rats was >2.5 mL/kg. Irritation was not found on respiratory tract mucosa in the local toxicity test.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, the present study suggested that H16 could be delivered in the form of aerosol and possessed its antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects. This study provides a new perspective for the development of a new herbal aerosol therapy and herbal modernization.

Spatiotemporally comparative analysis of three common infectious diseases in China during 2013-2015

BACKGROUND

Dengue fever (DF), influenza, and hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) have had several various degrees of outbreaks in China since the 1900s, posing a serious threat to public health. Previous studies have found that these infectious diseases were often prevalent in the same areas and during the same periods in China.

METHODS

This study combined traditional descriptive statistics and spatial scan statistic methods to analyze the spatiotemporal features of the epidemics of DF, influenza, and HFMD during 2013-2015 in mainland China at the provincial level.

RESULTS

DF got an intensive outbreak in 2014, while influenza and HFMD were stable from 2013 to 2015. DF mostly occurred during August-November, influenza appeared during November-next March, and HFMD happened during April-November. The peaks of these diseases form a year-round sequence; Spatially, HFMD generally has a much higher incidence than influenza and DF and covers larger high-risk areas. The hotspots of influenza tend to move from North China to the southeast coast. The southeastern coastal regions are the high-incidence areas and the most significant hotspots of all three diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggested that the three diseases can form a year-round sequence in southern China, and the southeast coast of China is a particularly high-risk area for these diseases. These findings may have important implications for the local public health agency to allocate the prevention and control resources.

Incidence trend and disease burden of seven vaccine-preventable diseases in Shandong province, China, 2013-2017: Findings from a population-based observational study

Introduction

Although vaccines provide a cost-effective solution to vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), the disease burden of VPDs is still very high in most parts of the world.

Methods

A population-based observational study was conducted in Shandong province, China, from 2013 to 2017, giving an insight into the epidemiological characteristics and disease burden of seven VPDs. The incidence trend was estimated using the Poisson regression model. The disease burden was calculated using the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).

Results

Most VPDs included in the China’s National Immunization Program had higher incidence density (ID) in inland cities. The ID of mumps decreased significantly, while herpes zoster increased (both P < 0.05). The top three causes of the disease burden as assessed with DALYs included tuberculosis, herpes zoster, and hepatitis B, with the rates of 72.21, 59.99, and 52.10 DALYs/100 000, respectively. The disease burden of influenza and herpes zoster were relatively high in people aged > 50 years, while highest DALYs of hepatitis B were found in young adults.

Conclusion

Inequalities in the vaccine coverage by geography, socio-economic status, and targeted population contribute to the increasing incidence and high burden of VPDs and call for renewed and sustained immunization strategies in China.

Can El Niño-Southern Oscillation Increase Respiratory Infectious Diseases in China? An Empirical Study of 31 Provinces

Respiratory infectious diseases (RID) are the major form of infectious diseases in China, and are highly susceptible to climatic conditions. Current research mainly focuses on the impact of weather on RID, but there is a lack of research on the effect of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on RID. Therefore, this paper uses the system generalized method of moments (SYS-GMM) and the data of 31 provinces in China from 2007 to 2018 to construct a dynamic panel model to empirically test the causality between ENSO and RID morbidity. Moreover, this paper considers the moderating effects of per capita disposable income and average years of education on this causality. The results show that ENSO can positively and significantly impact RID morbidity, which is 5.842% higher during El Niño years than normal years. In addition, per capita disposable income and average years of education can effectively weaken the relationship between ENSO and RID morbidity. Thus, this paper is of great significance for improving the RID early climate warning system in China and effectively controlling the spread of RID.

Spatio-temporal characteristics and control strategies in the early period of COVID-19 spread: a case study of the mainland China

COVID-19 has caused huge impacts on human health and the economic operation of the world. Analyzing and summarizing the early propagation law can help reduce the losses caused by public health emergencies in the future. Early data on the spread of COVID-19 in 30 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) of mainland China except for Hubei, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan were selected in this study. Spatio-temporal analysis, inflection point analysis, and correlation analysis are used to explore the spatio-temporal characteristics in the early COVID-19 spread. The results suggested that (1) the total confirmed cases have risen in an "S"-shaped curve over time, and the daily new cases have first increased and finally decreased; (2) the spatial distributions of both total and daily new cases show a trend of more in the east and less in the west, with a "multi-center agglomeration distribution" around Hubei Province and some major cities; (3) the spatial agglomeration of total confirmed cases has been increasing over time, while that of the daily new cases shows much more obvious in the mid-stage; and (4) timely release of the first-level public health emergency response can accelerate the emergence of the epidemic inflection point. The above analysis results have a specific reference value for the government's policy-making and measures to face public health emergencies.

Analysis of spatial-temporal distribution of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases in Shandong Province, China during 2005-2014

BACKGROUND

Little comprehensive information on overall epidemic trend of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases is available in Shandong Province, China. This study aimed to determine the spatiotemporal distribution and epidemic characteristics of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases.

METHODS

Time series was firstly performed to describe the temporal distribution feature of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases during 2005-2014 in Shandong Province. GIS Natural Breaks (Jenks) was applied to divide the average annual incidence of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases into five grades. Spatial empirical Bayesian smoothed risk maps and excess risk maps were further used to investigate spatial patterns of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases. Global and local Moran's I statistics were used to measure the spatial autocorrelation. Spatial-temporal scanning was used to detect spatiotemporal clusters and identify high-risk locations.

RESULTS

A total of 537,506 cases of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases were reported in Shandong Province during 2005-2014. The morbidity of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases had obvious seasonality with high morbidity in winter and spring. Local Moran's I analysis showed that there were 5, 23, 24, 4, 20, 8, 14, 10 and 7 high-risk counties determined for influenza A (H1N1), measles, tuberculosis, meningococcal meningitis, pertussis, scarlet fever, influenza, mumps and rubella, respectively. The spatial-temporal clustering analysis determined that the most likely cluster of influenza A (H1N1), measles, tuberculosis, meningococcal meningitis, pertussis, scarlet fever, influenza, mumps and rubella included 74, 66, 58, 56, 22, 64, 2, 75 and 56 counties, and the time frame was November 2009, March 2008, January 2007, February 2005, July 2007, December 2011, November 2009, June 2012 and May 2005, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

There were obvious spatiotemporal clusters of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases in Shandong during 2005-2014. More attention should be paid to the epidemiological and spatiotemporal characteristics of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases to establish new strategies for its control.

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Influenza-Like Illness and Prediction of Incidence in High-Risk Regions in the United States from 2011 to 2020

About 8% of the Americans contract influenza during an average season according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States. It is necessary to strengthen the early warning for influenza and the prediction of public health. In this study, Spatial autocorrelation analysis and spatial scanning analysis were used to identify the spatiotemporal patterns of influenza-like illness (ILI) prevalence in the United States, during the 2011-2020 transmission seasons. A seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model was constructed to predict the influenza incidence of high-risk states. We found the highest incidence of ILI was mainly concentrated in the states of Louisiana, District of Columbia and Virginia. Mississippi was a high-risk state with a higher influenza incidence, and exhibited a high-high cluster with neighboring states. A SARIMA (1, 0, 0) (1, 1, 0)₅₂ model was suitable for forecasting the ILI incidence of Mississippi. The relative errors between actual values and predicted values indicated that the predicted values matched the actual values well. Influenza is still an important health problem in the United States. The spread of ILI varies by season and geographical region. The peak season of influenza was the winter and spring, and the states with higher influenza rates are concentrated in the southeast. Increased surveillance in high-risk states could help control the spread of the influenza.