Background Most influenza surveillance is based on data from urban sentinel hospitals; little is known about influenza activity in rural communities. We conducted influenza surveillance in a rural region of China with the aim of detecting influenza activity in the 2009/2010 influenza season. Methods The study was conducted from October 2009 to March 2010. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to confirm influenza cases. Over-the-counter (OTC) drug sales were daily collected in drugstores and hospitals/clinics. Space-time scan statistics were used to identify clusters of ILI in community. The incidence rate of ILI/influenza was estimated on the basis of the number of ILI/influenza cases detected by the hospitals/clinics. Results A total of 434 ILI cases (3.88% of all consultations) were reported; 64.71% of these cases were influenza A (H1N1) pdm09. The estimated incidence rate of ILI and influenza were 5.19/100 and 0.40/100, respectively. The numbers of ILI cases and OTC drug purchases in the previous 7 days were strongly correlated (Spearman rank correlation coefficient [r] = 0.620, P = 0.001). Four ILI outbreaks were detected by space-time permutation analysis. Conclusions This rural community surveillance detected influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 activity and outbreaks in the 2009/2010 influenza season and enabled estimation of the incidence rate of influenza. It also provides a scientific data for public health measures.
Department of Infectious Disease, Tianjin Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tianjin, China;Department of Infectious Disease, Tianjin Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tianjin, China;Department of Infectious Disease, Tianjin Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tianjin, China;Institute of Pathogenic Microbiology, Tianjin Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tianjin, China;Department of Infectious Disease, Tianjin Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tianjin, China;Hangu Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Binhai New Area, Tianjin, China;Department of Infectious Disease, Tianjin Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tianjin, China
Recommended Citation:
Ying Zhang,Lin Li,Xiaochun Dong,et al. Influenza Surveillance and Incidence in a Rural Area in China during the 2009/2010 Influenza Pandemic[J]. PLOS ONE,2014-01-01,9(12)