Infect Chemother.  2018 Jun;50(2):120-127. 10.3947/ic.2018.50.2.120.

Absence of a Seasonal Variation of Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome in Yeoncheon Compared to Nationwide Korea

• Park YH

• KMID: 2415033
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2018.50.2.120

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Yeoncheon is an endemic region for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and has been reporting HFRS cases intermittently in other seasons, including autumn. This study was conducted to determine whether a seasonal variation pattern of HFRS exists in Yeoncheon.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
From 2002 to 2016, raw data of the number of patients with HFRS in Yeoncheon and nationwide was collected from the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention. On the basis of the raw data, the incidence per 100,000 population was calculated for each month of the year. The twelve months were divided into four quarters, and the proportion of the disease by each quarter was calculated. The effects of sex, age, quarter, and time on HFRS occurrence were analyzed by Poisson regression analysis.
RESULTS
A total of 6,132 HFRS cases occurred nationwide, and 62 cases occurred in Yeoncheon. The incidence of the disease in Yeoncheon (9.07/100,000) was statistically higher than that nationwide (0.81/100,000). The quarterly incidence showed that occurrence proportion of HFRS was high in the third and fourth quarters (12.9%, 67.5%) nationwide, whereas it was relatively similar in all quarters in Yeoncheon (17.7%, 21.0%, 25.8%, 35.5%). The Poisson regression model showed that the relative risk of HFRS nationwide was 1.322 in the third quarter and 6.903 in the fourth quarter, but Yeoncheon had no risk increase by quarter.
CONCLUSION
In this study, HFRS in Yeoncheon demonstrated no seasonal variation pattern compared to that in nationwide Korea, which may be considered a regional characteristic. Furthermore, in other regions where HFRS is endemic, like Yeoncheon, HFRS may arise regardless of seasonal variations.

Keyword

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome; Seasonal variation; Epidemiology; Endemic diseases

MeSH Terms

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
Endemic Diseases
Epidemiology
Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome*
Humans
Incidence
Korea*
Seasons*

Figure

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  Figure 1 Monthly trends of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) occurrences, in the total study population and in each age group. (A) Monthly trends of HFRS incidences in the nationwide cohort. (B) Monthly trends of HFRS incidences in Yeoncheon cohort.

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