Abstract:

【Abstract】 Objective  To understand the spatial and temporal distribution of tuberculosis(TB) in Shitai County of Anhui Province, China. Methods  Case data of TB were sourced from the disease surveillance information reporting system, and analyzed using software of SPSS(version 20), SaTScan(version 9.3) and ArcGIS(version 10.2). Results A total of 1 297 TB cases were reported from 2005 to 2014 in Shitai County. The annual average morbidity rate of TB was 127.82 cases in 100 000 population, and the prevalence was higher in male than female and increased with ages. Highest prevalence was found in population over 75 years(339.37 cases per 100 000 population), and farmers accounted for 84.30% of the total cases. TB prevalence was not associated with seasons, yet was differently distributed in towns and villages. The highest prevalence was in Dayan town(167.56 cases per 100 000 population). Temporal-spatial clustering analysis indicated two spatial and temporal clusters, in which one serious cluster was involved in Dingxiang, Xiaohe, Xianyu, Jitan and Dayan areas. Conclusion  The burden of TB appears still high in Shitai County, where indicates spatial and temporal distribution. The findings suggest that TB prevention and control work must be targeted at the focus population and critical areas.

Key words: Tuberculosis, Epidemiological characteristics, Temporal-spatial clustering