Epidemiological characteristics of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndromes in Changli county of Qinhuangdao, Hebei, 2008–2020

  Objective  To understand the epidemiological characteristics and trends of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Changli county, Qinhuangdao of Hebei province, and provide evidence basis for the development of targeted prevention and control measures.

  Methods  The incidence data of HFRS in Changli from 2008 to 2020 were collected for a descriptive epidemiological analysis.

  Results  A total of 577 cases of HFRS were reported from 2008 to 2020 in Changli, with an annual incidence of 7.93/100 000. There were two deaths with a case fatality rate of 0.35%. The top 5 townships with high incidences were Jing'an (14.03/100 000), Liutaizhuang (13.11/100 000), Ruhe (12.82/100 000), Tuanlin (12.15/100 000) and Nijing (11.18/100 000). The cumulative case number was highest in northwestern area (244 cases), followed by northeastern area (193 cases), southeastern area (84 cases) and southwestern area (56 cases). Cluster analysis on cases showed that 40 villages/communities had more than 3 cases accumulatively, in which 27, 9 and 4 villages/communities had accumulative case numbers of 3, 4 and 5, respectively. The incidence was highest in 2011 (21.64/100 000). The median of annual case number was 28 and the median of case number in peak month was 5. The incidence peaked in March and April. The male to female ratio of the cases was 2.41∶1. The age of the cases ranged from 2 years to 92 years. Most cases occurred in the age group 35–65 years, accounting for 73.14% (422/577) of the total cases. In the HFRS cases, farmers accounted for 86.14% (497/577), followed by students (4.51%) and workers (2.25%).

  Conclusion  The incidence of HFRS was high in Changli. Young and middle-aged farmers and middle school students were at high risk. The highest incidence was in the northwestern and northeastern townships. There were 40 villages/communities where HFRS cases occurred. It is suggested to carry out surveillance on rodents in the cluster areas of HFRS cases. To reduce the risk of HFRS, a unified large-scale anti-rodent campaign should be carried out before the Spring Festival every year, and health education and vaccination should be conducted for high-risk population.