Abstract:

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and pathogen spectrum of other infectious diarrhea in Sichuan Province for scientific evidence for following prevention and control tasks. Methods Data on the cases and etiology of other infectious diarrhea, and public health emergencies (referred to as events for short) in Sichuan Province from 2019 to 2023 were obtained from the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System, and analyzed using descriptive methods. Results A total of 273 653 cases of other infectious diarrhea were reported in Sichuan Province from 2019 to 2023, with an average annual reported incidence rate of 65.41 per 100 000 population, showing an overall upward trend. The incidence showed a bimodal distribution, with peaks in February-March (n=51 161; 18.70%) and June-August (n=83 419; 30.48%). The top 3 cities (prefectures) by cumulative reported cases were Chengdu (n=66 767), Mianyang (n=32 812) and Yibin (n=20 308). The average annual reported incidence rates for males and females were 68.08/10 000 and 62.71/100 000 population, respectively. Population aged ≤4 years were dominant in the reported cases (n=156 217; 57.09%), and the children living at home were most involved (n=139 372; 50.93%). Among the 32 057 cases with confirmed etiological diagnosis, 86.48% (n=27 722) were viral diarrhea, with rotavirus (n=21 425) being the main pathogen. 12.96% of the reported cases (n=4 155) were bacterial diarrhea, with non-typhoidal Salmonella (n=2 776) as the predominant pathogen. A total of 23 other infectious diarrhea events were reported, most of which occurred in schools and kindergartens (19 events). The main route was person-to-person transmission (17 events), and all pathogens were associated with norovirus. Conclusion Individual children under 5 years old living at home are the key population for prevention and control of other infectious diarrhea in Sichuan Province, and schools and nurseries are the major settings for outbreaks of other infectious diarrhea. In the future, it is necessary to further strengthen monitoring and early warning, health education and promotion, improve the rotavirus vaccination rate in the population, enhance the public’s awareness of disease prevention, and effectively reduce the incidence of the disease.

Key words: Other infectious diarrhea, Epidemiology, Pathogen spectrum, Rotavirus, Norovirus, Sichuan Province