Risk assessment of public health emergencies concerned in the mainland of China, April 2019

ObjectiveTo assess the risks of public health emergencies, both the indigenous ones and imported ones, which might occur in the mainland of China in April 2019.

MethodsAn internet based expert counsel was conducted to analyze the surveillance data of public health emergencies and priority communicable diseases in China reported through different channels, and the experts in all the provincial centers for disease control and prevention attended this meeting through video terminal.

ResultsIt is expected that the incidence of public health emergencies in April 2019 would continue to increase, which might be mainly the outbreaks of communicable diseases in schools, such as varicella, mumps, hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) and rubella. The number of reported cases of HFMD in most provinces of China, especially in southern and eastern provinces, would continue to increase; and attention should be paid to the change of predominant serotype, gene variation and emergence of new strains of enteroviruses, which would result in the increase in cases, including both severe cases and deaths. The number of reported cases of pertussis might also keep rising; and it is still necessary to strengthen the vaccination and case diagnosis or treatment. It is the time for entrance physical examination of colleges and senior high schools, more tuberculosis case clusters might be found in schools; the prevention and control measures should be implemented jointly after epidemic occurs. Hazardous chemical accident often lead to mass poisoning risk; and it is necessary to strengthen the capacity building of the response to poisoning events for the appropriate treatment. The epidemic of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo will continue, but the risk of spread to China is still low.

ConclusionIn April 2019, there are no special concern and major concern of public health emergency risk in the mainland of China; but general attention should be paid to the public health risk of HFMD, pertussis, tuberculosis in schools and acute hazardous chemical poisoning events, as well as the risk of EVD spread to China from the Democratic Republic of Congo.