Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis transmission among middle school students in Zhejiang Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Despite significant advancements in the treatment and diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) over the past decade, drug-resistant TB remains an increasing threat to public health. TB outbreaks are most commonly reported in schools considering the delay in TB diagnosis, sustained contact, and overcrowding observed in schools. This report describes multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) transmission in a school in Zhejiang Province. We aimed to raise awareness regarding MDR-TB transmission among students. CASE PRESENTATION: The index patient was a 16-year-old girl in the second year of junior middle school in Zhejiang Province, China, who had been experiencing persistent cough and expectoration for 37 days since 1 March 2014. She tested positive for smear pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB on 8 April 2014 and was subsequently diagnosed with MDR-TB on 1 May 2014. However, the patient was resistant to isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and streptomycin. Thus, she was suspended from school for anti-TB treatment. All 54 students who were in close contact with the index patient in the same class were screened, and 5 tested positive on the tuberculin skin test. Their exposure time to the index patient was approximately 37 days. Three classmates were subsequently diagnosed with MDR-TB, with similar resistance profiles nearly two years later. Their average discovery delay was 55 days. These three classmates were also suspended from school for anti-TB treatment. During the treatment period, four students visited the local TB-designated hospital for further consultation every month and were followed up once a month by the local community health service center until they were completely cured. CONCLUSIONS: Discovery delay for an index patient played a primary role in MDR-TB transmission inside the school. To immediately detect TB, morning examinations in schools should be performed. TB trackers and case managers should work closely with public health workers and physicians in cases of TB outbreaks or transmissions involving students. Moreover, individuals who are in close contact with MDR-TB patients should undergo careful clinical follow-up for at least two years. Implementing a joint examination strategy to ensure early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of MDR-TB transmission is recommended.

Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis Burden among the New Tuberculosis Patients in Zhejiang Province: An Observational Study, 2009-2013.

BACKGROUND: Screening on multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has been limited to the serious TB subpopulations excluding the new TB patients. This study aimed to examine MDR-TB burden among the new TB patients. METHODS: We conducted a study in Zhejiang Province during 2009-2013 to screen for MDR-TB patients among the low MDR-TB risk patients and five subpopulations of high MDR-TB risk patients. The number, prevalence, and trend of MDR-TB were compared while the logistic regression model was used to examine risk factors related to MDR-TB. RESULTS: A total of 200 and 791 MDR-TB cases were, respectively, identified from the 9830 new TB cases and 2372 high-risk suspects who took MDR-TB screening from 2009 to 2013. The MDR-TB rates went down in both of the new TB patients and five MDR-TB high-risk groups over the study time, but the percentage of MDR-TB patients identified from the new TB patients in all diagnosed MDR-TB cases kept stable from 28.3% in 2011 to 27.0% in 2012 to 26.0% in 2013. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated that MDR-TB burden among new TB patients was high, thus screening for MDR-TB among the new TB patients should be recommended in China as well as in the similar situation worldwide.

[Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the 6 confirmed human cases with novel influenza A (H7N9) virus infection in Zhejiang].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical spectrum, geographic location of human H7N9 avian influenza as well as the characteristics of population at high risk of infection, in order to develop strategies for the prevention and control of the infection. Clinical and epidemiological characteristics on the 6 confirmed human cases in Zhejiang were also analyzed. METHODS: Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to test the nucleic acid of human H7N9 avian influenza infection, from pharyngeal swabs of the patients and their close contacts. Face to face interview and descriptive method were used to collect related clinical and epidemiological data. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 17.0. RESULTS: Six confirmed cases were distributed in Hangzhou and Huzhou cities. The 6 confirmed human cases, including 5 males and 1 female were all confirmed with novel influenza A (H7N9) virus infection, with an average age as 60.83 years (with median as 64.50 years). Cough was the most common initial symptom to be noticed. The clinical manifestations would include fever, dizziness, pain of muscles, coughing, expectoration and short of breath. All the X-ray chest films showed severe pneumonia, and 5 of them having had other chronic diseases. None of the cases admitted to have had a history of exposure to ill/death avians. However, all of the cases had been frequently exposed to the agricultural-byproduct-trading-markets where the positive rate of novel influenza A (H7N9) virus in environmental specimens was up to 43.21%. 32 of the 375 close contacts (8.53%) to the 6 cases appeared abnormal symptoms, but no positive result related to novel influenza A (H7N9) virus nucleic acid was detected from their throat swabs. CONCLUSION: Acute infection on the respiratory system seemed the main clinical manifestation. Elderly men, especially those with chronic diseases were under high risk of human infection with H7N9 avian influenza. The source of infection might be associated with the exposure to poultry. There was still lack of evidence to confirm the route of person to person transmission on H7N9 avian influenza.

[Sero-epidemiologic investigation on tick-borne diseases of humans and domestic animals in Zhejiang province].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the seroprevalence of tick-borne diseases in humans and domestic animals from rural areas of Zhejiang province. METHODS: Anji county, Jindong district and Tiantai county were selected for samples collection according to their geographic locations and historical prevalence of tick-borne diseases. Blood samples of humans and domestic animals were collected in the three sites. An indirect immuno-fluorescent antibody test was used to determine the presence of IgG antibodies of Rickettsiae heilongjiangii, Orientia tsutsugamushi, R. typhi, Anaplasma phagocytosis, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Bartonella, R. hainan and Coxiella burnetii in these samples. RESULTS: Six hundred and eighty-three blood samples including 579 from humans and 104 from domestic animals (53 from cattles and 51 from sheep) were collected from the three sites. Antibody positive rates of Orientia tsutsugamushi, R. typhi, Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Coxiella burnetii were significantly different between these sites. IgG from all the 8 pathogens were detected in samples from humans. It was found that the sero-prevalence rates of R. typhi, Bartonella and C. burnetii (20.7%, 10.9%, 5.5%) of adults were higher than those of other Rickettsiae under investigation. The seroprevalence of R. typhi increased along with age. IgG from the 7 pathogens were detected in samples from domestic animals except for Anaplasma phagocytosis. The sero-prevalence rates of R. typhi, Bartonella and R. hainan (69.2%, 51.0%, 22.1%) of adults were higher than those of other Rickettsiae investigated. CONCLUSION: Tick-borne diseases did spread widely in humans and domestic animals from different rural areas of Zhejiang province. The sero-prevalence rates of R. typhi, B. henselae, R. hainan and C. burnetii were higher than that from other pathogens.

[Community-based study on disease burden of diarrhea in Zhejiang province].

OBJECTIVE: To study the status on economic burden of diarrhea in Zhejiang province so as to provide evidence for allocation of health resource as well as decision-making on health issues. METHODS: Multi-phases stratified random cluster sampling was used to select samples in the population. Data was collected on the incidence of diarrhea in the last two weeks as well as on the related cost due to medical care etc. RESULTS: The overall incidence (person per year) of diarrhea was 0.26, with 0.29 in the rural and 0.22 in the urban areas respectively. The incidence of diarrhea in children less than 5 was 0.66 (person per year), higher than in any of the age groups. The average direct cost of medical treatment was 69.23 Yuan with average direct cost of non-medical care was 8.29 Yuan for every person, while the indirect cost was 48.43 Yuan. In conclusion, the average disease burden of diarrhea in the province was 1.697 billion Yuan per year, which accounted for 1 per thousand of the GDP, with 1.217 billion Yuan in rural area and 0.480 billion Yuan in the urban areas respectively. The direct cost of medical care was 0.886 billion Yuan (52.21%) and the direct cost due to non-medical care was 0.124 billion Yuan (7.31%). The indirect cost appeared to be 0.480 billion Yuan (40.48%). Factors that affecting the cost would relate to: severity of diarrhea, medical insurance, location of residential area, age and education background of the patients, etc. CONCLUSION: Programs on diarrhea prevention and control should be strengthened to reduce the economic burden caused by this disease while special attention should be paid to those children who are under 5 years of age and living in the rural areas.

[Investigation on vibrio cholera carried in aquatic products of littoral areas, Zhejiang Province].

OBJECTIVE: To examine vibrio cholera (V.C) in aquatic products of littoral area, Zhejiang Province and to provide scientific evidence for administration of aquatic products and cholera epidemic control. METHODS: All 990 samples of aquatic products collected from local markets, eateries and aquafarms in three chosen areas. Samples were proliferated in alkaline liquid medium, and purified in NO: 4 medium, the isolations were identified biochemically, and phenotype of strains were defined by phagocyte and coagulation with V.C. diagnostic serum. Three virulence genes (ctx, ace, zct) of the isolated strains were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: There were 1.41% samples caught by V.C., having a carrying rate highest in turtles of 8.9%. 14 strains were defined as three serogroups, and the numbers of Inaba, Ogawa, and Hikojima types were 2, 2, 10 respectively. Virulence genes had detected in 9 of 12 stains. All genes were detected in 5 strains, only ZOT genes in 3 strains, and both CTX and ACE genes in 1 strain. CONCLUSIONS: Aquatic products from inshore in Zhejiang Province caught with V.C. strains might be divided into three serogroups. Most of them should be virulence genes. Cholera epidemic outbreak might be caused by those contaminated products.

[A field epidemiological study on the risk factors of injury caused by typhoon].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk factors involved in the typhoon episodes and to put forward and evaluate the intervention measures. METHODS: We defined a confirmed injury case as: 'a person with fall,scalpel and stab, collision, drowning, injuries and trauma due to flying debris and building collapse, asphyxiation due to entrapment in collapsed buildings by typhoon from 0 am,August 12 to 6 pm, August 14 2004' and a death case as: 'a person with fall, scalpel and stab, collision, drowning, injuries and trauma due to flying debris and building collapse, asphyxiation due to entrapment in collapsed buildings by typhoon from 0 am, August 12 to 12 am, August 18 2004'. We investigated all hospitalized injured cases in ten hospitals and telephoned to those who were not hospitalized and the cases of death. We did case-control study with 1 pair versus 2 cases. 74 cases were selected in ten hospitals. The controls were neighbors of the controls matched by occupation, sex, village, and within 5 years of age without injury in this typhoon. We asked the cases and the controls on their alertness regarding typhoon and what actions taken when typhoon arrived. RESULTS: There were 392 injury cases in all ten hospitals and 50 death cases. The attack rate of injury was 27.3 per 100 000. The fatal rate was 11.3% with the death rate 3.1 per 100 000. We investigated 209 injury cases and 31 death cases. The number of cases who were injured from 1 to 6 hours before typhoon landing accounted for 64.6% (155) of all cases. The peak of epidemic curve was 4 hours before the landing of typhoon. Data on the analysis of 74 cases and 148 controls revealed that 42% (31) of the cases were outside their homes before and during typhoon compared to 15% (22) of the controls (OR = 3.9, 95% CI: 1.9-7.7). Compared with 20% (30) control persons (OR = 17,95% CI: 4.2-68). 28% (21) cases did not receive the alert of typhoon before it arrived compared with 18% (27) control persons (OR = 3.3, 95% CI:1.3-8.6). 53% (39) of the cases did not pay attention to the alert of typhoon before typhoon arrived. CONCLUSION: Staying outdoor, not receiving or did not take seriously about the alert of typhoon seemed to be the risk factors of injury by the typhoon episode, suggesting that the government should increase the emergency preparedness and to raise the awareness on risks associated with typhoon.