Public health emergencies in schools in Zhejiang province, 2004 - 2010

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics of communicable disease events in the schools in Zhejiang from 2004 to 2010 and provide evidence for the prevention and control of the diseases. Methods Descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted on the incidence data of communicable disease events in the schools during this period. Results The communicable disease events in the schools accounted for 84.0% of total public health emergencies and accounted for 75.7% of the total communicable disease events. More communicable disease events were reported during April-June (44.0%). Varicella was the most frequently reported disease (29.56%) and the case number of mumps was highest (24.98%). Respiratory disease mainly occurred in the primary schools and child care settings in rural area, whereas enteric infections mainly occurred in the schools in urban area. The median of attack rate of communicable disease was 4.3%. The average duration of the communicable disease events was 36 days. Conclusion Schools, especially primary schools and primary schools in rural area, are still the key place to conduct communicable disease prevention and control, especially respiratory diseases. It is necessary to strengthen the cooperation between medical agency and education department and carry out the prevention and control measures in schools.