A spatial, social and environmental study of tuberculosis in China using statistical and GIS technology.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health problem in China, and its incidence shows certain regional disparities. Systematic investigations of the social and environmental factors influencing TB are necessary for the prevention and control of the disease. Data on cases were obtained from the Chinese Center for Disease and Prevention.

Spatial-temporal characteristics of epidemic spread in-out flow-Using SARS epidemic in Beijing as a case study.

For better detecting the spatial-temporal change mode of individual susceptible-infected-symptomatic-treated-recovered epidemic progress and the characteristics of information/material flow in the epidemic spread network between regions, the epidemic spread mechanism of virus input and output was explored based on individuals and spatial regions. Three typical spatial information parameters including working unit/address, onset location and reporting unit were selected and SARS epidemic spread in-out flow in Beijing was defined based on the SARS epidemiological investigation data in China from 2002 to 2003 while its epidemiological characteristics were discussed. Furthermore, by the methods of spatial-temporal statistical analysis and network characteristic analysis, spatial-temporal high-risk hotspots and network structure characteristics of Beijing outer in-out flow were explored, and spatial autocorrelation/heterogeneity, spatial-temporal evolutive rules and structure characteristics of the spread network of Beijing inner in-out flow were comprehensively analyzed.