Ⅰ. General Situation of the Epidemics
This week (from April 21, 2008 to April 27, 2008), 2,310 cases of 13 kinds of legal infectious diseases with zero dead cases are reported in 18 districts and counties in the whole city. Among them, there are 1,320 cases of 8 kinds of class B infectious diseases, an increase of 1.62％ compared with last week and 0.76% compared with the same period of last year. The top ten diseases according to the number of reported cases are: diarrhea, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, measles, syphilis, gonorrhea, scarlatina, hepatitis C, hepatitis (not classified) and hepatitis E etc.; 990 cases of five kinds of class C infectious diseases are reported, a decrease of 3.79％compared with last week and 4.44% compared with the same period of last year.
Ⅱ. Analysis of the Major Epidemics
(Ⅰ) Measles
This week, a total of 135 cases of measles are reported, an increase of 8.87% compared with last week and 10.66% compared with the same period of last year. Those infected are mainly youths and adults aged between 15 and 39, whose occupation varies from scattered-living children, domestic helpers, the unemployed, business service persons, workers, students, cadres and staff.
Up to April 27, there have been a total of 831 reported cases in Beijing, down 25.14% over last year.
(Ⅱ) Diarrhea
This week, a total of 457 cases of diarrhea are reported, up 6.53％ over last week and up 18.70％ over last year. Outbreaks can be seen in every age group, with infants, children and the young and middle-aged reporting the most cases. The professional population affected is mainly scattered-living children, students, cadres and staff, and the retired.
Up to April 27, the city has reported a total of 4,373 cases of infectious diarrhea, up 27.31％ over last year.
(Ⅲ) Chickenpox
Some 358 cases of chickenpox are reported this week, up 23.34％ over last week. The professional population affected is mainly students and preschool kids.
Up to April 27, there have been a total of 5,615 reported cases, down 13.57% over last year.
III. Foreign Epidemic Situation
(Ⅰ) Singapore: 26 child care centers had to close because of the worsening hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD)
On April 26, Health Department of Singapore announced that the hand foot and mouth disease in Singapore was still worsening. Some 1,162 hand foot and mouth disease cases were reported during April 20 and April 25. Because of this disease, 26 child care and pre-school education centers have closed.
(Ⅱ)Burkina Faso: Meningitis Epidemic
On April 24, Health Department of Burkina Faso announced that since January of this year, meningitis Epidemic had broken out in the country. Up to now, 800 of the total of 8,300 reported cases this year have been killed. The most severely affected area is Bobo-Dioulasso, the second largest city of the country, where over 100 of the 1, 000 reported cases have been killed.
(Ⅲ) Malaysia: cholera Epidemic
On April 23, Malaysian media reported that six people in Sabah, east of Malaysia, were infected with cholera. All of the infected, who are Philippine people aged from 1 to 21 living in Malaysia, were sent to hospital and their condition has become stable.
(Ⅳ) Vietnam: Cholera Epidemic
On April 22, it was announced by World Health Organization (WHO) that from March 5 to April 22, there were 2,490 cases of acute watery diarrhea reported in Vietnam, with 377 cases of cholera and zero death. Tests showed the pathogen was Vibrio Cholerae O1,Ogawa, possibly through the infection of contaminated food. By now, acute watery diarrhea was reported in 20 provinces of Vietnam, and the most severely affected region among which was Henei. Vibrio cholerae were not found in the drinking water but in surface water in Henei and the other affected areas.
For controlling the spread of epidemic, WHO suggested foreigners and citizens in the uninfected areas of Vietnam should not go to the infected areas.
Ⅳ.Key Notes
During the May Day holiday, as more tourists are coming to Beijing, disease control organizations and medical institutions at all levels should intensify the supervision of contagious respiratory diseases like measles, epidemic encephalitis, influenza, mumps and chicken pox, for preventing its prevalence. Meanwhile, intestinal infectious diseases are more likely to happen when people go traveling, have a party, or get together for dinner, therefore health departments at all levels should strengthen the supervision and inspection, to prevent outbreak of intestinal infectious diseases and food poisoning.