Risk assessment of public health emergencies concerned in China, July 2023

  Objective   To assess the risk of public health emergencies that may occur or be imported from abroad in China (except Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan province, the same below) in July 2023.

  Methods  Based on various data and departmental notification information on domestic and foreign public health emergencies reports and surveillance of key infectious diseases, the expert consultation method was used and experts from provincial (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) centers for disease control and prevention were invited to participate in the assessment by video conference.

  Results   It is predicted that the incidence of public health emergencies in July 2023 would be slightly higher than that in June 2023. The main public health emergencies would be infectious diseases such as mpox, COVID-19, dengue fever, hand, food and mouth disease, and chickenpox. The national epidemic of COVID-19 in China showed a fluctuating downward trend in June 2023, with XBB variants becoming the dominant prevalent strains of the epidemic. The current epidemic of COVID-19 had limited impact on medical service and social economy. However, closely monitoring the future progress of COVID-19 is still needed. The epidemic of mpox in China has shown a relatively rapid development in the short term, and the sustained transmission risk of mpox is high among men who have sex with men (MSM). July is the high incidence season of cholera, and sporadic cases or clusters might occur. It is predicted that dengue fever cases in July will increase gradually. The number of hand, food and mouth disease cases is expected to continue to increase in July, but with a slower increasing rate than last month. The risk of heat stroke is expected to rise, with long-lasting hot weather in July.

  Conclusion  Special attention should be paid to COVID-19, close attention should be paid to mpox, and general attention should be paid to cholera, dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease, and heat stroke.