Epidemiological characteristics and spatial clustering of brucellosis in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 2017−2021

  Objective  To understand the epidemiological and spatial distribution characteristics of human brucellosis in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, from 2017 to 2021, and provide the scientific basis for the development of brucellosis prevention and control strategy.

  Methods  The incidence data of the human brucellosis in Guilin from 2017 to 2021 were collected for descriptive and statistical analyses with software spss25.0. Software ArcGIS 10.8 was used for cold and hot spot analysis, global spatial autocorrelation analysis and local spatial autocorrelation analysis.

  Results  A total of 278 cases of human brucellosis were reported in Guilin from 2017 to 2021, and the annual incidence showed a downward trend. The cases occurred all the year round during this period, and the incidence peak was during March-July. The male to female ratio of the cases was 2.02∶1, and the cases were mainly aged 30−69 years, accounting for 89.93% (250/278) of the total. The epidemiological survey in 221 cases indicated that the top three populations affected were people engaged in sheep slaughtering and trading of sheep and sheep products (28.05%, 62/221), farmers (14.48%, 32/221) and the jobless and unemployed (14.03%, 31/221), followed by those with indirect contacts with sheep and sheep products (13.12%, 29/221) and those engaged in sheep breeding (4.52%, 10/221). The cases were reported in 17 counties (districts) in Guilin. The global spatial distribution analysis showed that the incidence of human brucellosis in Guilin showed spatial clustering during 2017−2021. The analysis on hot and cold spots indicated that the areas with high incidence were in main urban area, Lingui and Guanyang, and the annual spatial distribution showed a gradual diffusion trend from clustering to low clustering.

  Conclusion  The incidence of human brucellosis showed a declining trend in Guilin from 2017 to 2021, and the human brucellosis cases occurred after contact with sheep still accounted for a high proportion, and the incidence in some urban areas was still high. It is necessary to continue the joint and targeted prevention and control of human brucellosis, strengthen the surveillance in key populations, standardize the management of livestock trading markets, and conduct health education in general and occupational populations to reduce the incidence of human brucellosis.