Epidemiology of Reemerging Scarlet Fever, Hong Kong, 2005-2015.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Lee CF
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5621532 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC3471616 | biostudies-literature
Project description:A scarlet fever outbreak occurred in Hong Kong in 2011. The majority of cases resulted in the isolation of Streptococcus pyogenes emm12 with multiple antibiotic resistances. Phylogenetic analysis of 22 emm12 scarlet fever outbreak isolates, 7 temporally and geographically matched emm12 non-scarlet fever isolates, and 18 emm12 strains isolated during 2005-2010 indicated the outbreak was multiclonal. Genome sequencing of 2 nonclonal scarlet fever isolates (HKU16 and HKU30), coupled with diagnostic polymerase chain reaction assays, identified 2 mobile genetic elements distributed across the major lineages: a 64.9-kb integrative and conjugative element encoding tetracycline and macrolide resistance and a 46.4-kb prophage encoding superantigens SSA and SpeC and the DNase Spd1. Phenotypic comparison of HKU16 and HKU30 with the S. pyogenes M1T1 strain 5448 revealed that HKU16 displays increased adherence to HEp-2 human epithelial cells, whereas HKU16, HKU30, and 5448 exhibit equivalent resistance to neutrophils and virulence in a humanized plasminogen murine model. However, in contrast to M1T1, the virulence of HKU16 and HKU30 was not associated with covRS mutation. The multiclonal nature of the emm12 scarlet fever isolates suggests that factors such as mobile genetic elements, environmental factors, and host immune status may have contributed to the 2011 scarlet fever outbreak.
| S-EPMC4125623 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC3372348 | biostudies-literature
Project description:To probe the spatiotemporal patterns of the incidence of scarlet fever in Beijing, China, from 2005 to 2014. A spatiotemporal analysis was conducted at the district/county level in the Beijing region based on the reported cases of scarlet fever during the study period. Moran's autocorrelation coefficient was used to examine the spatial autocorrelation of scarlet fever, whereas the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic was used to determine the hotspot incidence of scarlet fever. Likewise, the space-time scan statistic was used to detect the space-time clusters, including the relative risk of scarlet fever incidence across all settings. A total of 26,860 scarlet fever cases were reported in Beijing during the study period (2005-2014). The average annual incidence of scarlet fever was 14.25 per 100,000 population (range, 6.76 to 32.03 per 100,000). The incidence among males was higher than that among females, and more than two-thirds of scarlet fever cases (83.8%) were among children 3-8 years old. The seasonal incidence peaks occurred from March to July. A higher relative risk area was mainly in the city and urban districts of Beijing. The most likely space-time clusters and secondary clusters were detected to be diversely distributed in every study year. The spatiotemporal patterns of scarlet fever were relatively unsteady in Beijing from 2005 to 2014. The at-risk population was mainly scattered in urban settings and dense districts with high population, indicating a positive relationship between population density and increased risk of scarlet fever exposure. Children under 15 years of age were the most susceptible to scarlet fever.
| S-EPMC4730522 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundUltimate Frisbee is a non-contact, self-refereed team sport that is rapidly gaining popularity in Hong Kong. As it is a physically demanding competition, it can result in substantial injury risk. However, the injury epidemiology data in Hong Kong remains lacking. The aim of this study is to identify and analyse the injury prevalence and risk factors for Ultimate Frisbee players in Hong Kong.MethodsOnline self-reported surveys were collected from participants through the Hong Kong Flying Disc Federation for the 2019 season. Data was collected on injury type, location, nature, severity and onset. Injury incidence rates (IRs) were calculated as injuries per 1000 h of athlete-exposures (AEs). Incidence rate ratios were determined to compare IRs with 95% confidence intervals, which were used to calculate differences. In addition, analysis on IR will be made on comparing between training and tournament.ResultsResponse rate of 75.6% was achieved, of which 59 entries were included for analysis. We observed 54 injuries over 9412 AEs for a total IR of 5.74 per 1000 h of AEs. The injury prevalence is 62.7%, with both men and women having similar incidence (IRR = 1.161, 95% CI = 0.63, 2.14, p = 0.63). The most common injuries were in the lower limb (61.1%). Cutting was the most frequent injury mechanism (23.7%). The risk of injury during training is 3 times less compared to during tournament (IRR = 0.03, 95% CI = 0.18, 0.60, p < 0.01).ConclusionOur preliminary findings provide evidence that majority of Ultimate injuries in Hong Kong players involved the lower extremity with injuries occurring more in tournaments than training. This study is an important first step to provide the groundwork for tailoring prevention strategies to minimize injuries in Ultimate Frisbee.
| S-EPMC8377482 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPrevious studies have suggested that mass media's reports of new suicide methods will increase suicides using the same method. The same pattern seems not to apply to a conventional suicide method, unless it was used by a celebrity.Objective1) to examine media effects on both new and non-new suicide methods during 1998 and 2005 in Hong Kong (HK), when a new method by burning charcoal (CB suicide) was spreading in the region. 2) to examine how CB competed with non-CB methods in terms of media coverage and "recruiting" suicidal persons in the socio-economic context.MethodsA self- and mutual- exciting process model was fitted to the data, adjusting for divorce rate, unemployment rate, and property price index. Breaking the whole period into onset, peak, and post-peak stages, the model was fitted again to examine the differences.ResultsComparable copycat effects were found on both CB and non-CB suicide news. The only cross-method media effects were found in the onset stage when non-CB suicide news showed suppressing effect on CB suicides. CB suicides reported a significant self-excitation effect. A higher divorce rate and lower property price index were associated with significantly more suicides incidences and more suicide news.ConclusionsThe emerging of CB suicide method did not substitute media coverage of non-CB suicide in HK. Media effects in this case were not limited to new suicide method or celebrity suicide. The effects were further fueled by adverse socio-economic conditions.
| S-EPMC5389840 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Studies on the epidemiology of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) in the Chinese population are lacking. We aimed to determine the epidemiology of PBC in Hong Kong (HK) with a population of 7.3 million.We retrieved data from the electronic database of the HK Hospital Authority, the only public healthcare provider in Hong Kong. PBC cases between 2000 and 2015 were identified by International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 code. We estimated the age-/sex-adjusted incidence rate and prevalence of PBC, and analyzed the adverse outcomes (hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver transplantation, and death).One thousand and sixteen PBC patients aged ?20 years were identified (female-to-male ratio 4:1; median age 60.6 years, interquartile range (IQR) 51.8-72.6 years; median follow-up 5.6 years, IQR 1.6-8.7 years). The average age/sex-adjusted annual incidence rate and prevalence were 8.4 per million person-years and 56.4 per million, respectively. Between 2000 and 2015, the age/sex-adjusted annual incidence rate increased from 6.7 to 8.1 per million person-years (Poisson P=0.002), while age/sex-adjusted prevalence increased from 31.1 to 82.3 per million (Poisson P<0.001). Fifty patients developed HCC, and 49 underwent liver transplantation. Case fatality risk decreased from 10.8 to 6.4% (Poisson P=0.003). The 5- and 10-year overall survival rates were 81.5 and 78.3%, whereas the transplant-free survival rates were 78.0% and 74.3%, respectively. Increasing age, cirrhosis and being treatment-naïve were associated with lower transplant-free survival.There is a considerable increase in the incidence and prevalence of PBC in the Chinese population over the past 16 years, with significant morbidity and mortality.
| S-EPMC5587844 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundAge-specific incidence of acute myocarditis/pericarditis in adolescents following Comirnaty vaccination in Asia is lacking. This study aimed to study the clinical characteristics and incidence of acute myocarditis/pericarditis among Hong Kong adolescents following Comirnaty vaccination.MethodsThis is a population cohort study in Hong Kong that monitored adverse events following immunization through a pharmacovigilance system for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. All adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years following Comirnaty vaccination were monitored under the COVID-19 vaccine adverse event response and evaluation program. The clinical characteristics and overall incidence of acute myocarditis/pericarditis in adolescents following Comirnaty vaccination were analyzed.ResultsBetween 14 June 2021 and 4 September 2021, 33 Chinese adolescents who developed acute myocarditis/pericarditis following Comirnaty vaccination were identified. In total, 29 (87.88%) were male and 4 (12.12%) were female, with a median age of 15.25 years. And 27 (81.82%) and 6 (18.18%) cases developed acute myocarditis/pericarditis after receiving the second and first dose, respectively. All cases are mild and required only conservative management. The overall incidence of acute myocarditis/pericarditis was 18.52 (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.67-29.01) per 100 000 persons vaccinated. The incidence after the first and second doses were 3.37 (95% CI, 1.12-9.51) and 21.22 (95% CI, 13.78-32.28 per 100 000 persons vaccinated, respectively. Among male adolescents, the incidence after the first and second doses were 5.57 (95% CI, 2.38-12.53) and 37.32 (95% CI, 26.98-51.25) per 100 000 persons vaccinated.ConclusionsThere is a significant increase in the risk of acute myocarditis/pericarditis following Comirnaty vaccination among Chinese male adolescents, especially after the second dose.
| S-EPMC8767823 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe Hong Kong-specific criteria have been established in 2019 to assess potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use in older adults and improve the local prescribing quality. The aim of this study was to compare the adaptive versions of the Hong Kong-specific criteria and 2015 Beers criteria for assessing the prevalence and correlates of PIM use in Hong Kong older patients.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014 using the Hospital Authority (HA) database. A total of 489,301 older patients aged 65 years and older visiting general outpatient clinics (GOPCs) during the study period were included in the study. Two categories of PIM use included in the Hong Kong-specific criteria and 2015 Beers criteria, i.e. PIMs independent of diagnoses and PIMs considering specific medical conditions, were adapted to assess the prevalence of PIM use among the study sample. Characteristics of PIM users and the most frequently prescribed PIMs were investigated for each set of the criteria. Factors associated with PIM use were identified using the stepwise multivariable logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe adaptive Hong Kong-specific criteria could detect a higher prevalence of patients exposed to at least one PIM than that assessed by the adaptive Beers criteria (49.5% vs 47.5%). Meanwhile, the adaptive Hong Kong-specific criteria could identify a higher rate of patients exposed to PIMs independent of diagnoses (48.1% vs 46.8%) and PIMs considering specific medical conditions (7.3% vs 4.9%) compared with that of the adaptive Beers criteria. The most frequently prescribed PIMs detected by the adaptive Beers criteria were all included in the adaptive Hong Kong-specific criteria. The strongest factor associated with PIM use was number of different medications prescribed. Patients with female gender, aged 65 ~ 74 years, a larger number of GOPC visits, and more than six diagnoses were associated with greater risk of PIM use, whereas advancing age was associated with lower risk of PIM use.ConclusionsThe adaptive Hong Kong-specific criteria could detect a higher prevalence of PIM use than the adaptive Beers criteria in older adults visiting GOPCs in Hong Kong. It is necessary to update the prevalence and correlates of PIM use regularly in older adults to monitor the burden of PIM use and identify vulnerable patients who need further interventions.
| S-EPMC8218399 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) has been found in children presenting with respiratory tract infections (RTIs). However, the epidemiology and clinical course of this newly identified virus have not been fully elucidated. This study investigated the epidemiology, seasonality, and clinical features of HCoV-NL63 in Hong Kong children. This study consisted of two cohorts of children hospitalized in a university-affiliated teaching hospital. In the 12-month retrospective part of the study, reverse transcription-PCR was used to detect HCoVs in nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs). Positive samples were sequenced to confirm the identity of the virus and to determine its phylogenetic relationship with the HCoV-NL63 strains found elsewhere. The second part covered a subsequent 12-month period in which patients were prospectively recruited. Altogether, 1,981 and 1,001 NPA specimens were studied in 2005-2006 and 2006-2007, respectively. Seventy-four (2.5%) HCoV isolates were identified and consisted of 17 (0.6%) HCoV-NL63 isolates, 37 (1.2%) HCoV-OC43 isolates, 14 (0.5%) HCoV-HKU1 isolates, and 6 (0.2%) HCoV-229E isolates. HCoV-NL63 infection was more common in 2006-2007 than 2005-2006 (1.2% and 0.3%, respectively; P = 0.006). From 2005 to 2007, the peak season for HCoV-NL63 infection was in September-October, which was earlier than the peak for HCoV-OC43 infections (December-January). HCoV-NL63-infected patients were younger and more likely to have croup, febrile convulsions, and acute gastroenteritis. The majority of local HCoV-NL63 isolates were phylogenetically closely related to those found in Belgium and The Netherlands. In conclusion, HCoV-NL63 is an important yet uncommon virus among our hospitalized children with acute RTIs.
| S-EPMC2772645 | biostudies-literature