Spatio-temporal clustering of hand, foot, and mouth disease at the county level in Guangxi, China.

Background: Amid numerous outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Asia over the past decade, studies on spatio-temporal clustering are limited. Without this information the distribution of severe cases assumed to be sporadic. We analyzed surveillance data with onset dates between 1 May 2008 to 31 October 2013 with the aim to document the spatio-temporal clustering of HFMD cases and severe cases at the county level.

An open, prospective, randomized study comparing the immunogenicity and safety of two inactivated hepatitis A pediatric vaccines in toddlers, children and adolescents in China.

Background: Vaccines against hepatitis A provide long-lasting protection in both adults and children. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that the inactivated hepatitis A vaccine AVAXIM 80U Pediatric is safe and not inferior in terms of seroprotection rate to HAVRIX 720 vaccine 1 month after booster vaccination.

Methods: An open, randomized, single-center trial was conducted in China in healthy antihepatitis A virus seronegative individuals from 12 months to 15 years of age.

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in a highly endemic area of southern China after catch-up immunization.

The Chinese national goals for control of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection were to achieve a prevalence of HBsAg below 7% for the entire population, and 1% for children under 5-year old, by 2010. To determine whether Guangxi, a multi-minority province with a low socio-economic status and a very high prevalence of HBV, achieved this goal, a seroepidemiological survey of HBV infection was carried out using stratified, random cluster sampling. The results show that the overall prevalence of HBsAg is 9.

[Study on a new prevention and control model on soil-borne parasitic diseases in rural areas of China].

Objective: To explore a new prevention and control model on soil-borne parasitic diseases in rural areas of China.

Methods: Eight provinces and autonomous regions were selected in China as demonstration areas implementing integrated control on soil-borne parasitic diseases. The integrated control measures included authority organization and harmonization, health education, deworming, and environment modification.

Isolation and identification of a South China strain of Plasmodium inui from Macaca fascicularis.

Southeast Asian macaques are hosts of a number of Plasmodium infections, some of which are transmittable to humans. During examination of blood films of five wild-caught long-tailed macaques Macaca fascicularis from South China, malaria infection was detected in one of the monkeys. In order to isolate this parasite for identification and characterization, we experimentally passed this parasite through both Assamese (M.

[Epidemiological characteristics of meningococcal meningitis in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region during 1996 and 2007].

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of meningococcal meningitis and provide evidences for disease control.

Method: The method of descriptive epidemiology has been used to analyze the data collected.

Results: A total of 419 cases were reported with meningococcal meningitis between 1996-2007, annual incidence rate was 0.

[Identification and analysis of an SEO strain of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome hantavirus from Guangxi].

Objective: To identify hantavirus from lung specimens of rats captured in Guangxi.

Methods: Rats were collected from various areas in Guangxi in combination with plague surveillance and rat lung specimens were examined by ELISA for hantavirus antigen, and M segment of positive specimen was partially amplified with RT-PCR and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted for genotyping.

Hepatitis B virus pre-S deletion mutations are a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma: a matched nested case-control study.

A matched nested case-control study of 33 paired cases and controls was conducted, based on a study cohort in Long An county, Guangxi, China, to determine whether infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) with pre-S deletions is independently associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), without the confounding effects of basal core promoter (BCP) double mutations. The prevalence of pre-S deletions was significantly higher in HCC (45.5 %, 15 of 33) than the controls (18.