Abstract:

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics of dengue fever in Yunnan Province during the epidemic of COVID-19 for reference to optimize the prevention and control measures for this infection. Methods The case data on dengue fever reported in Yunnan Province from 2020 to 2022 were retrieved through the China Disease Prevention and Control Information System. Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the distribution of dengue fever by the region, time and population as well as the epidemiological characteristics of domestic and foreign infection sources in Yunnan Province. Results In total, 845 cases of dengue fever were reported Yunnan Province from 2020 to 2022, including 29 foreign imported cases (3.43%) and 816 local infections (96.57%). Local infections primarily occurred in Dehong Prefecture (98.53%, 804/816), and the imported cases were generally from the southeast Asian countries (89.66%, 26/29). In terms of time distribution, the peak period of local infection occurred from September to November (91.30%, 745/816), whereas the imported cases were seen in each month throughout the year. Males were dominant in the reported cases (55.62%, 470/845), with a gender ratio of 1:0.80 and age range between 20 and 59 years old (81.07%, 685/845). The infections were most seen in personnel in commercial services (34.79%, 294/845). Two outbreaks, both occurring in Ruili City, were reported, which involved 785 local cases. The first outbreak occurred in 2020, and lasted for 126 days, with 245 cases reported. The second occurred in 2022, lasted for 85 days with 540 cases reported. Conclusion During the COVID-19 epidemic, the total number of dengue fever cases and local outbreaks in Yunnan Province dropped significantly, yet the risks of dengue fever prevalence still exist. In following work, we should continue to strengthen the health education in the key areas and the joint prevention and control of the infection with neighboring countries/regions, we should enhance the monitoring over the personnel from foreign countries and comprehensive control against the dengue vector, and timely implement the initial prevention and control measures and case treatment to prevent spread of the epidemic.

Key words: Dengue fever, COVID-2019, Epidemiological characteristics, Yunnan Province