The first reported outbreak of an undetermined species of human infection with spotted fever group Rickettsia in Lu'an, China.

Objective: On May 2, 2017, an outbreak of unexplained fever with rashes was reported in Lu'an, China. In this study, we aimed to identify the possible pathogens, epidemiological characteristics, and risk factors of this outbreak.

Methods: We conducted descriptive field epidemiological studies.

Urban-rural differences in the effect of empty-nest on mental health and behaviors of Chinese older population.

This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the effect of empty-nest on mental health and behaviors of the older population and explore the urban-rural differences. Data from the Cohort of Older People Health and Environment Controllable Factors were used, including 1071 older people aged 60 or over from a rural and an urban. Mental health, daily life behaviors, chronic physical diseases, and activities of daily living were evaluated.

Outbreak of mumps in a student population with high vaccination coverage in China: time for two-dose vaccination.

In 2016, an outbreak of mumps occurred in a primary school in China with a student population having high vaccination coverage. An unmatched case-control study was performed to identify risk factors contributing to this outbreak, and a retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of mumps-containing vaccine (MuCV). A total of 97 cases were identified during the outbreak, and the overall attack rate was 8.

Adhering to a vegetarian diet may create a greater risk of depressive symptoms in the elderly male Chinese population.

Background: A vegetarian diet may be a risk factor for depression, but this relationship was unclear in the elderly Chinese population.

Methods: Self-report data were gathered from 1051 elderly persons using the Cohort of Elderly Health and Environment Controllable Factors, which was created in West Anhui, China. The depressive symptoms were set as binary, ordinal, and continuous outcomes, respectively, whereas the dietary structures were computed as an ordinal variable and a dummy variable.

Seroprevalence and risk factors of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus infection in endemic areas.

Background: To determine the seroprevalence, latent infection rate and risk factors for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) infection, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the general population of the Western region of Anhui Province of China from 1 September to 31 December 2014.

Methods: Twelve villages with the highest rates of endemic SFTS infection were selected from six towns in two counties in the western region of Anhui Province. Blood samples were collected and tested for the presence of SFTSV-IgG antibodies by ELISA.

Refining and validating a two-stage and web-based cancer risk assessment tool for village doctors in China.

The big gap between efficacy of population level prevention and expectations due to heterogeneity and complexity of cancer etiologic factors calls for selective yet personalized interventions based on effective risk assessment. This paper documents our research protocol aimed at refining and validating a two-stage and web- based cancer risk assessment tool, from a tentative one in use by an ongoing project, capable of identifying individuals at elevated risk for one or more types of the 80% leading cancers in rural China with adequate sensitivity and specificity and featuring low cost, easy application and cultural and technical sensitivity for farmers and village doctors. The protocol adopted a modified population-based case control design using 72, 000 non-patients as controls, 2, 200 cancer patients as cases, and another 600 patients as cases for external validation.

[Blood lipid adsorption of polyethylene glycol/montmorillonite nanocomposite].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of polyethylene glycol/montmorillonite (PEG/MMT) nanocomposite material in adsorption of triglyceride (TG), cholesterin and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C).

Methods: The structure of PEG/MMT nanocomposite was analyzed by means of X ray diffraction and its effect of blood lipid and albumin adsorption was evaluated in comparison with Na-MMT.

Results: The interval distance was larger when the PEG of greater molecular weight was used for preparing the nanocomposite, and PEG/MMT nanocomposite had greater adsorption rate of TG, cholesterin and LDL-C in serum than that of serum albumin.