Neck musculoskeletal disorders and their influence factors among welders in an automobile factory / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To explore the prevalence and risk factors of neck musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) of welders among an automobile factory. Methods: In June 2019, a cluster random sampling method was used to select 677 electric welders from an automobile manufacturing plant in Shiyan City as the survey objects, and a questionnaire survey was conducted using the "Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire" to analyze the prevalence and influencing factors of neck MSDs, and used logistic regression to analyze the relationship between the influencing factors and the prevalence of cervical MSDs. Results: The prevalence rate of MSDs in neck of welders was 54.8% (371/677) . The exposure rate of occupational factors, from high to low, were neckin a bent formord porsure was 71.6% (486/677) , repetitive head movements was 55.1% (373/677) , working in uncomfortable postures was 48.7% (330/677) and neck twisted was 46.8% (317/677) respectively. Sex, age, educational level, length of service, smoking, neck tilt, neck twist, working in uncomfortable posture and head repetitive movements were the risk factors of neck MSDs (P<0.05) . Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that, the main influencing factors of neck MSDs were sex, education level, age, length of service, smoking, neck tilt, working in uncomfortable posture (OR = 2.11, 2.03, 1.83, 1.21, 1.78, 1.90, 1.58, 95%CI: 1.28~3.48、1.47~2.81、1.33~2.52、1.03~1.41、1.22~2.60、1.28~2.83、1.11~2.27, P<0.05) , rest had protective effect on neck MSDs (OR= 0.38, 95%CI: 0.17~0.88, P<0.05) . Conclusion: Welders in automobile factory was highly exposed to occupational risk factors for neck MSDs. Occupational risk factors such as neck in a bent forward posture, working in an uncomfortable posture, prolonged siting, repetitive head movement should be the focus of intervention.

Epidemiological characteristics and repeated infection analysis of scrub typhus in Anhui Province from 2008 to 2017 / 中华疾病控制杂志

@# Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics of scrub typhus in Anhui Province from 2008 to 2017, so as to provide scientific evidence for the development of control strategies and control measures. Methods Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to describe and analyze the cases of scrub typhus in Anhui Province from 2008 to 2017. Results The overall incidence of scrub typhus in Anhui Province showed an upward trend from 2008 to 2017 ( χ2=3 522.49, P<0.001). The highest incidence rate in 2016 was 3.98/100 000. The cases were concentrated from September to November. It was a typical “autumn and winter type” and peaked in October. It had the phenomenon of “high incidence in October”; the cases were mainly concentrated in the age group of 40-79 years old, accounting for 76.64% of the total reported cases. The cumulative number of cases in the 60-69 age group was the largest, and the incidence was mainly farmers. Conclusions In recent years, the incidence of scrub typhus in Anhui Province has shown an upward trend. It is necessary to strengthen the routine monitoring of scrub typhus in key areas and the detection of scrub typhus pathogens, and actively carry out prevention and health education of scrub typhus.

Co-occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders and influence factors among Chinese auto workers / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the prevalence and risk factors of multiple musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in auto workers and the associations between MSDs at different sites.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 3998 workers, who were selected from a Chinese auto corporation by cluster random sampling, using the revised Nordic MSDs standard questionnaire; 3800 completed questionnaires were returned. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the risk factors for multiple MSDs. The logbinomial model was used to calculate the prevalence ratios (PRs) of MSDs at different sites and evaluate the associations between MSDs at different sites.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 3800 subjects, 2452 (64.5%) had MSDs at two or more sites, and 469 (12.3%) had MSDs at one site. The PRs varied from 1.5 to 6.7, with significant differences among different sites (P < 0.01). Relatively close associations were found between the MSDs at neck and shoulders, back and shoulders/waist, elbows and wrists/hands, waist and neck, wrists/hands and waist, hip and waist, knees and waist, and ankles/feet and elbows. The multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that the highest risk factor for MSDs was poor posture, including often working in an uncomfortable posture, neck bending forward, and neck twisting (ORs = 3.39, 1.93, and 1.38), followed by labor organization, in which break between tasks could decrease the risk of MSDs at three or more sites to 31%, staff shortage, which could increase the risk of MSDs by 75%, and pushing and pulling heavy objects (> 20 kg) (OR = 1.76).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Most auto workers with MSDs have multiple sites affected, and there are high associations between the MSDs at different sites. The major risk factors for multiple MSDs in auto workers include poor posture, labor organization, and heavy physical labor.</p>

Risk factors analysis of low back pain among workers in a foundry factory of the automobile company / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the main risk factors of low back pain of workers ina foundry factory of the automobile company using cross sectional epidemiological investigation, and to provide scientific base for preventing the disorder.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The low back pain and work loads of 1340 workers in a foundry factory of the automobile company were investigated using questionnaire, and logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The one-year morbidity of low back pain in workers was 58.9% the morbidities of low back pain in workers engaged in foundry, transportation and modeling were 64.6%, 64.6% and 62.5%, respectively. The lifting with squat postures, bending trunk heavily, bending trunk with twisting and moving the heavy objects were found to be the most dominant risk factors for low-back pain, the OR values were 2.085, 1.961, 1.967 and 1.956, respectively. The distributions of risk factors were different among the different jobs. The logistic regression analysis showed that moving the heavy objects, lifting with squat postures, bending trunk heavily, bending trunk with twisting existed simultaneously, also the work years and gender were the risk factors.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The manual moving heavy objects, awkward working posture or both were the most important risk factors for low-back pain. The intervene ergonomic study should be performed in future to reduce the morbidity of low-back pain.</p>

Study on an outbreak of echovirus type 6 of meningitis in Liu'an city, Anhui province / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the epidemiological, clinical and etiological characteristics of an Echovirus type 6 meningitis outbreak in Jinzhai county, Liu'an city in Anhui, and to find out the proper way in controlling the aseptic meningitis outbreak.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A surveillance system for aseptic meningitis was established in Jinzhai to confirm the case definition. Stool or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from some cases were collected for entero-viruses isolation and identification. Case-control study was conducted. The case group involved patients while the controls would include: patients' classmate with same gender and the age difference was not over one year. Neutralization antibody in serum specimens were collected and tested in cases and in healthy people.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>105 cases were distributed in 17 of the 30 towns in Jinzhai county while 41.0% of the cases were in Banzhuyuan town with an incidence rate of 203/10(5). Cases were clustered by school and classroom with age ranging from 3 to 15 years old and the highest as 10.9/10(5) in the 6 to 10 group. The incidence in males was 24.2/10(5) compared to 8.4/10(5) in females. The main clinic characteristics of cases were: fever, headache and vomiting. Echovirus type 6 from 25 of the 72 CSF samples (35%) was isolated. When comparing the cases group with control group, the OR of drinking home-made beverages was 4.1 (95% CI: 1.4-12.0), especially the beverages sacked by plastic bag: 3.3 (95% CI: 1.3-8.8). 6 out of 7 workers engaging in producing home-made beverages were detected to have carried Echovirus type 6 from their stool specimens. The Echovirus type 6 neutralization antibody positive rate in cases (73.5%) was significantly higher than that in 100 healthy people (46.0%) (X2 = 12. 526, P = 0.000).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This episode of meningitis outbreak was caused by Echovirus type 6. The proportion of drinking home-made beverages, especially the beverages sacked by plastic bag in cases group was higher than in control group.</p>

Study on a fatal pregnant woman died from by avian influenza (H5N1) / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To ascertain the causation of a pregnant woman with undefined pneumonia reported from the People's Hospital of Tongling city in Anhui province on November 2005.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Epidemiological and clinical information of the case was collected from the keypersons close to the case and referring to the medical record. A medical observation was carried out on the close contacts of the case and sick or dead poultry. Tracheal aspirates being collected were tested by both RT-PCR and real-time PCR to detect viral nucleic acids of A/H5N1, and were inoculated into special pathogen free (SPF) embryonated hens' eggs.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The pregnant woman was found to have been contacted with the sick/dead poultry directly on the 4th day before onset of illness. All the 122 close contacts were healthy after a 10-day medical observation. The major clinical features of the case were viral pneumonia with rapidly developed leukopenia and lymphopenia. The progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome and multiple organ dysfunction syndromes was found at clinical presentation. HA and NA gene of A/H5N1 virus were positive. The 8 gene fragments of A/Anhui/1/2005 (H5N1) isolated from the tracheal aspirates had not carried genes from a human virus through reassortment, and the receptor-binding site of the hemagglutinin was polybasic cleavage site.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This was the first documented case of H5N1 infection in pregnant woman. The immunotolerant state of pregnancy might have predisposed to the fatal outcome of the patient.</p>

Study on a monitoring program regarding leptospirosis in some fore-and-after flood-affected along large rivers in Anhui province / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The study was designed to find out the epidemic characteristics of leptospriosis and to develop effective intervention measures. The effects of floods on leptospriosis in some areas along Yangzi river and Huai river in Anhui province was also analysed.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Study on serum epidemiology of leptospriosis was carried out from serous samples collected from native residents and animal hosts including isolation of pathogens at different phases (before,middle and after) and different monitoring spots,during the floods.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Infection rate with leptospriosis pathogen among native residents was 13.49% during the flood-period,much higher than 2.18% at post-flood (chi2 = 22.78, P < 0.01) stage, in the flood-affected areas along Yangzi river in 1998. The average rates of infection were 2.48% and 5.35% in affected and unaffected areas along Huai river respectively, in 2003.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>There was full evidence that floods causing the epidemics of leptospriosis. However, the transmission of leptospriosis among people would depend on affecting factors as scales of floods, lasting time, coincidence between flood happening and epidemic season, immuno-protection level against leptospriosis among people and so on to a great extent. Factors as the magnitude of pathogens carried by various kinds of infectious sources were also important determinants affecting the nature, being epidemic or pandemic of leptospriosis. It was suggested that active surveillance network on the sources of infection and risk factors of leptospriosis should be developed for the control and prevention of the disease, in the flood-hit areas.</p>