Association Between Air Pollutants and Infectious Epiglottitis Incidence: A Observational Study

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Infectious epiglottitis poses a significant health risk, potentially life-threatening if untreated.
• Air pollution is a recognized critical risk factor impacting global human health.
• Understanding the relationship between environmental pollutants and infectious diseases is crucial for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between daily air pollutant concentrations and the incidence of infectious epiglottitis.
• To identify specific air pollutants associated with increased hospital visits for infectious epiglottitis in Shanghai.
• To quantify the impact of air pollution on infectious epiglottitis cases.

Main Methods:

• Utilized daily infectious epiglottitis case data and meteorological records from Shanghai (2015-2019).
• Analyzed concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
• Employed generalized additive Poisson regression models to assess pollutant-disease associations across different lag days.

Main Results:

• A total of 3280 infectious epiglottitis cases were recorded.
• Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) showed a significant linear and increasing association with daily hospital visits.
• A 1-day lag increase of 10 μg/m³ in PM2.5 was associated with a 4.1% rise in infectious epiglottitis hospital visits (RR=1.041).

Conclusions:

• Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are significantly associated with infectious epiglottitis incidence in Shanghai.
• PM2.5 emerged as a key pollutant linked to increased infectious epiglottitis cases.
• Findings highlight the impact of air quality on respiratory and related infections, informing public health interventions.