2017-01-05
Rapid increase of scrub typhus incidence in Guangzhou, southern China, 2006-2014
Publication
Publication
BMC Infectious Diseases , Volume 17 - Issue 1
Background: In the last decade, scrub typhus (ST) has been emerging or re-emerging in some areas of Asia, including Guangzhou, one of the most affected endemic areas of ST in China. Methods: Based on the data on all cases reported in Guangzhou from 2006 to 2014, we characterized the epidemiological features, and identified environmental determinants for the spatial distribution of ST using a panel negative binomial model. Results: A total of 4821 scrub typhus cases were reported in Guangzhou during 2006-2014. The annual incidence increased noticeably and the increase was relatively high and rapid in rural townships and among elderly females. The majority of cases (86.8%) occurred during May-October, and farmers constituted the majority of the cases, accounting for 33.9% in urban and 61.6% in rural areas. The number of housekeeper patients had a rapid increment in both rural and urban areas during the study period. Atmospheric pressure and relative humidity with lags of 1 or 2 months, distributions of broadleaved forest and rural township were identified as determinants for the spatiotemporal distribution of scrub typhus. Conclusion: Our results indicate that surveillance and public education need to be focused on the elderly farmers in rural areas covered with broadleaf forest in southern China.
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| doi.org/10.1186/s12879-016-2153-3, hdl.handle.net/1765/95317 | |
| BMC Infectious Diseases | |
| Organisation | Department of Public Health |
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Sun, Y., Wei, Y.-H. (Yue-Hong), Yang, Y. (Yang), Ma, Y. (Yu), de Vlas, S., Yao, H.-W., … Cao, W.-C. (Wu-Chun). (2017). Rapid increase of scrub typhus incidence in Guangzhou, southern China, 2006-2014. BMC Infectious Diseases, 17(1). doi:10.1186/s12879-016-2153-3 |
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