Epidemiological and Genetic Characteristics of Influenza Virus and the Effects of Air Pollution on Laboratory-confirmed Influenza Cases in Hulunbuir, China, from 2010 to 2019

Overview

Journal Epidemiol Infect

Publisher Cambridge University Press

Specialties Infectious Diseases
Public Health

Date 2020 Jun 30

PMID 32594933

Citations 4

Authors

Bing Lu

Yingchen Wang

Zhansong Zhu

Zhe Zhang

Tuo Dong

Falong Li

Ya Gao

Xiqiao Du

Zhangyi Qu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: A continuous survey on influenza was conducted in Hulunbuir, China from January 2010 to May 2019 to reveal epidemiological, microbiological and air pollutants associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza cases.

Methods: Influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory infection subjects were enrolled from a sentinel hospital in Hulunbuir during the study period for epidemiological and virological investigation. The association between air pollutants and influenza-positivity rate was assessed by a generalised additive model.

Results: Of 4667 specimens, 550 (11.8%) were tested positive for influenza. The influenza-positivity was highest in the age groups of 5-14 years, 50-69 years and ⩾70 years. We found that the effect of particulate matter ⩽2.5 μm (PM2.5) concentrations on the influenza-positivity rate was statistically significant, particularly on day lag-4 and lag-5. Genetic characterisations showed that (H1N1) pdm09 strains belonged to subclade 6B.1 and that influenza B isolates belonged to subclade 1A-3Del, with significant substitutions in the haemagglutinin and neuraminidase proteins compared with those in the WHO-recommended vaccine strains.

Conclusions: Elderly individuals and school-age children were at high risk for influenza infection. PM2.5 concentrations showed significant effects on influenza-positivity rate in Hulunbuir, which could be considered in local influenza prevention strategies.

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