Introduction: This study investigates the patterns of scarlet fever among Chinese children aged 0-9 years from 2010 to 2019. The objective is to provide insights that may inform potential adjustments to China's current prevention and control tactics for this illness.
Methods: The present study utilized data on the occurrence of scarlet fever in children from 2010 to 2019, sourced from the National Notifiable Disease Reporting System database, managed by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. This research implemented SAS9.4 software to construct trajectory models representing the temporal incidence of scarlet fever, accounting for key variables such as sex, geographic region, urban versus rural dwellings, and various age brackets.
Results: From 2010 to 2019, a total of 554,695 scarlet fever cases were reported among children aged 0-9 years in the 31 mainland Chinese provincial-level administrative divisions, signifying a rate of 35.36 per 100,000 individuals. An inconsistent yet generally rising trend was observed, evidenced by a 3.17-fold increase in reported cases and a 3.02-fold escalation in incidence rate over this period. Examination of these trends revealed three distinctive developmental patterns for both males and females, with the lowest prevalence in the first trajectory and the highest in the third. The incidence was consistently higher among males than females in all trajectories. The urban and northern regions displayed equal or greater trajectory rates than their rural and southern counterparts, respectively. In terms of age groups, the lowest incidence was observed in the 0-1-year age group, while the highest was recorded in the 4-5 and 6-7-year age groups.
Conclusions: Between 2010 and 2019, there was a marked increase in the incidence of scarlet fever among children in China. The disease predominantly impacts urban-dwelling children, ranging from 4 to 7 years old, in the northern regions of the country. The incidence is reported to be higher among boys compared to girls.
What is already known about this topic?: Meningitis, a life-threatening disease, presents a significant public health challenge. Its rate of progress in burden reduction notably lags behind other diseases that can be prevented through vaccination.
What is added by this report?: This research explored the changes in the mortality rate of meningitis in China over a span of 35 years. The study further identified the effects of age, period, and cohort on the mortality trends.
What are the implications for public health practice?: In the context of minimal disparities between urban and rural settings, it is crucial to focus on and implement targeted prevention programs for meningitis within the infant population.
What is already known about this topic?: The National Iodine Deficiency Disease Surveillance system is exclusively focused on monitoring cooking salt used within households. Currently, there is a lack of nationally representative data on the use of iodized salt in dining establishments.
What is added by this report?: This study evaluated 7,889 salt samples obtained from dining establishments located in 13 provincial-level administrative divisions across China. The findings indicated that coverage rate of iodized salt (CRIS) and the consumption rate of adequately iodized salt (CRAIS) were found to be 95.2% and 90.2%, respectively. Further, 880 samples were classified as iodized salt and 804 as adequately iodized salt. In coastal areas, the CRIS and CRAIS showed a significant decrease to 77.1% and 70.5%, respectively, when compared to the inland regions (P<0.01).
What are the implications for public health practices?: The data compiled could potentially fill the void in the national data concerning the use of iodized salt in dining establishments throughout China. It is of the utmost importance to increase the awareness of restaurant operators, particularly those located in coastal areas, about the benefits of iodine supplementation. Moreover, they should be encouraged to use adequately iodized salt.