Epidemic characteristics of hand-foot-and-mouth disease and its relationship with meteorological factors in Urumqi from 2016 to 2021
Objective To analyze the epidemiological and etiological characteristics of hand-foot-and-mouth disease(HFMD)in Urumqi from 2016 to 2021,discuss the correlation between meteorological factors and the daily incidence of HFMD,so as to screen out the main meteorological factors affecting the incidence of HFMD,providing data support for prevention work.Method Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the epidemic characteristics of HFMD in Urumqi City from 2016 to 2021.Spearman rank correlation analysis and principal component regression analysis were used to analyze the correlation between meteorological factors and the incidence of HFMD,and to screen out the main meteorological factors that affect the number of cases of HFMD.Results From 2016 to 2021,a total of 11 020 cases were reported in Urumqi,with an average annual incidence of 50.74/100 000.The incidence of HFMD showed a bimodal distribution,mainly from May to August,accompanied by the second peak from October to November.The incidence rate of male(59.14/100 000)was higher than that of female(42.09/100 000),and the ratio of male to female was about 1.47∶1.The incidence was mainly in the 1-4 year old group.The occupation distribution was mainly scattered children(47.51%)and kindergarten children(41.71%).The area with the most reported cases was high-tech zone(new urban area),accounting for about 24.44%.There were 2 502 cases diagnosed in HFMD laboratory,including 1 679 cases(67.11%)of other enteroviruses,537 cases(21.46%)of coxsackievirus A16(COX-A16)and 286 cases(11.43%)of enteroviruses belonging to group A(EV71).The daily incidence of HFMD was positively correlated with the average temperature,minimum temperature,average relative humidity,daily average wind speed,sunshine hours and diurnal temperature difference(all P<0.01),and negatively correlated with the average air pressure,maximum air pressure,minimum air pressure and minimum humidity(all P<0.01),among which the daily average wind speed and average air pressure were the main factors affecting the incidence of HFMD.Conclusion The incidence of HFMD in Urumqi from 2016 to 2021 was at the peak in summer and autumn,and the males aged 1-4 were mainly scattered and kindergarten children.The high-risk incidence area was located in high-tech zone(new urban area),which indicated that it is necessary to strictly implement various prevention and control measures for key populations in the high-risk season.Meteorological conditions with high wind speed and low pressure are the risk factors of HFMD,so meteorological factors should be fully considered when formulating epidemic prevention policies for HFMD.