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Detection of hand-foot-mouth disease and its spatial-temporal Epidemiological characteristics with GIS platform
1Information and Management School, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Insights
Hand-foot-mouth (HFM) disease in China is mainly caused by Enterovirus 71 (EV71) and Coxsackievirus A16 (CA16). This study highlights EV71 as the primary pathogen, with infections showing distinct spatial-temporal patterns across the country.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Hand-foot-mouth (HFM) disease is a common infectious illness, particularly in young children.
- Understanding the etiological agents and epidemiological patterns of HFM disease is crucial for effective public health interventions.
- Enterovirus 71 (EV71) and Coxsackievirus A16 (CA16) are recognized as major causative agents of HFM disease.
Discussion:
- The study analyzed specimens from infants diagnosed with HFMD, utilizing fluorescence quantitative assay for EV71 and CA16 detection.
- Geographic Information System (GIS) was employed to map the spatial-temporal distribution of HFMD cases across China.
- Detection rates varied by specimen type, with bleb fluid showing the highest viral detection. Combined specimen testing yielded higher positive rates.
Key Insights:
- Enterovirus 71 (EV71) was detected more frequently than Coxsackievirus A16 (CA16), and CA16 infections often co-occurred with EV71.
- HFMD outbreaks in China exhibit a distinct spatial-temporal pattern, typically starting in the south during April and spreading northward, subsiding by July.
- Significant variations in incidence were observed across provinces, influenced by time, geography, gender, and living conditions.
Outlook:
- High-sensitivity fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction is recommended for early and accurate diagnosis of HFMD.
- Implementing timely and scientifically-based diagnosis and treatment strategies can mitigate severe disease and mortality.
- Further research into the factors influencing HFMD incidence can inform targeted public health interventions.
Abstract:
The aim of this study is to investigate the main category of hand-foot-mouth (HFM) virus and analyze the distribution characteristics and susceptible population of HFM disease in China. Infants who have had HFM disease for less than 7 days were selected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi, China. Various specimens were collected from the infants, and EV71 and CA16 nucleic acid detections were performed using fluorescence quantitative assay. The positive results of the specimens were compared to determine the components of the pathogen. Moreover, the data of the target cases were analyzed based on Geographic Information System (GIS) to obtain the spatial-temporal epidemiological features of HFM disease in China. The detection rate of HFM virus in the throat swab, feces, bleb fluid and cerebrospinal fluid were 75%, 81.13%, 85.71% and 25%, respectively, indicating that the detection rate of virus in the bleb fluid was the highest. When the detection was based on more than one specimen, it was found that the positive rate was higher compared to detection based on a single specimen. The positive detection rate of EV71 in the target specimens was significantly higher than that of CA16 and mixed infection. Moreover, CA16 infection was usually accompanied by EV71 infection. As to spatial-temporal distribution, hand-foot-month disease broke out in the South of China in April, then spread to the north, and diminished in July. There was a notable difference in the number of cases between different provinces. EV71 and CA16 are the main viruses inducing HFM disease, especially EV71. Fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction with high sensitivity can be used to detect the copy number of viruses, which is applicable to the early diagnosis of HFM disease. The incidence of HFM disease is notably different according to the influence of time, geographical space, gender and the living conditions of the children. Early diagnosis and treatment based on scientific methods are needed to reduce the incidence of severe diseases and avoid death.
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