Factors affecting high-frequency hearing loss among noise-exposed workers in an automobile manufacturing company / 环境与职业医学

Background The influencing factors of noise hazards in the automotive manufacturing industry are complex, diverse, and mutually correlated, resulting in significant health impacts on workers. Objective To explore the application of generalized estimating equations (GEE) to analyze the factors affecting high-frequency hearing loss among noise-exposed workers in an automotive manufacturing company, guiding enterprises to scientifically carry out employee hearing protection programs. Methods The data of occupational health field evaluation and occupational health surveillance of an automobile manufacturing company for five consecutive years from 2018 to 2022 were collected, and 806 noise-exposed workers with pure tone hearing test results for all five consecutive years were selected as study participants. The retrieved indicators were gender, physical examination year, noise intensity, blood pressure, white blood cell counts, red blood cell counts, platelet counts, concentrations of hemoglobin, alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, smoking, drinking, etc. Gender, noise intensity, blood pressure, white blood cell counts, red blood cell counts, concentrations of hemoglobin, platelet counts, glutamate aminotransferase, glutamate aminotransferase, smoking, and drinking were set as independent variables, and occurrence of high-frequency hearing loss was set as a dependent variable, and GEE were constructed by using the statistical software of SPSS 20.0 to analyze the influencing factors of high-frequency hearing loss. Results Of the 806 workers, 698 were male (86.6%) and 108 were female (13.4%). The detection rates of high-frequency hearing loss in each year from 2018 to 2022 were 66.4% (535/806), 69.8% (563/806), 70.0% (564/806), 68.9% (555/806), and 68.2% (550/806), respectively. The detection rate of high-frequency hearing loss in the company was varied significantly by gender, lowered white blood cell counts, lowered red blood cell counts, lowered platelet counts, smoking, and drinking (P<0.05). The results of GEE analysis showed that after adjusting for selected confounding factors and excluding interaction effects, the risk of high-frequency hearing loss was higher in men than in women (P=0.001; OR=1.907, 95%CI: 1.286, 2.829); it was higher in workplace with disqualified noise intensity than in those without (P=0.043; OR=1.289, 95%CI: 1.009, 1.648); it was also higher in smokers than in non-smokers (P=0.004; OR=1.507, 95%CI: 1.137, 1.999). Conclusion Gender, noise intensity, and smoking are the main influencing factors of high-frequency hearing loss in noise-exposed workers in this automobile manufacturing company. Controlling smoking and reducing noise exposure intensity may reduce the occurrence of high-frequency hearing loss in workers.

Investigation and analysis of indoor radon concentration of urban residents in Shiyan, China / 中国辐射卫生

@#<b>Objective</b> To monitor the indoor radon concentration of urban residents in Shiyan, China, and to analyze the related influencing factors. <b>Methods</b> From April to July, 2019, RSKS standard detectors were used to measure the indoor radon concentration of 125 households in Shiyan, and the results were analyzed. <b>Results</b> The indoor radon concentration of residents in Shiyan showed a skewed distribution, ranging from 13.8 to 145 Bq/m³, and <i>M</i> (<i>P</i>₂₅,<i>P</i>₇₅) was 38.3 (29.0,62.0) Bq/m³. The estimated annual effective dose of radon and radon daughters from inhalation was 0.52-5.50 mSv, and <i>M</i> (<i>P</i>₂₅,<i>P</i>₇₅) was 1.45 (1.10, 2.36) mSv, which was consistent with literature. Building structure (<i>H</i> = 14.10, <i>P</i> < 0.001), floor (<i>H</i> = 24.41, <i>P</i> < 0.001), and geographical region (<i>H</i> = 8.963, <i>P</i> < 0.05) were influencing factors of indoor radon concentration, and the differences were significant. <b>Conclusion</b> The indoor radon concentration of urban residents in Shiyan is lower than the national standard limit. However, in daily life, it is still necessary to take appropriate measures to reduce the concentration of indoor radon as much as possible.

Prevalence and risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in upper back of welders in an automobile factory / 环境与职业医学

Background China's automobile manufacture is a labor-intensive industry, and most of the welding tasks are manual operations. It is often necessary to observe the solder joints during operation, and there are many adverse health outcome-related factors involved in the work process. However, the research on the prevalence and risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in the upper back of welders is still insufficient. Objective To explore the prevalence and risk factors of WMSDs in the upper back of welders from an automobile factory. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. A cluster random sampling method was used to select 972 electric welders from an automobile factory as the study subjects. The Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire was used to estimate the prevalence of WMSDs in the upper back in the past year. Results The prevalence rate of WMSDs in the upper back in the welders was 42.2% (410/972). The positive rates of studied occupational risk factors were 72.5% (705/972) for maintaining same posture for a long time, 71.8% (698/972) for bending and twisting for a long time, and 64.7% (629/972) for repetitive trunk movements. The univariate analysis showed that the prevalence rates of WMSDs were significantly different among workers categorized by gender, working age, twisting and/or bending for a long time, working in the same position for a long time, lifting heavy objects in an uncomfortable position, repetitive trunk movements, being unable to exert energy due to discomfort, work involving cold or temperature changes, personnel shortage, no rest between work, working hours per week, and working in an uncomfortable position (P<0.05). The results of multiple logistic regression indicated that female, working in the same position for a long time, working in an uncomfortable position (frequently), lifting heavy objects in an uncomfortable position, and being unable to exert energy due to discomfort were associated with higher risks of reporting WMSDs in the upper back (OR=2.37, 1.46, 1.76, 1.44, and 1.50, respectively, P<0.05); the risk of reporting WMSDs in the upper back increased by 95%, 157%, and 196% for every 10 h increase in weekly working hours (41-50 h, 51-60 h, ≥61 h vs ≤40 h); adequate rest time was associated with a lower risk for WMSDs in the upper back (OR=0.70, 95%CI: 0.49-0.98). Conclusion The prevalence rate of WMSDs in the upper back of welders in the automobile factory is high, and many occupational risk factors are involved. Measures should be taken for intervention and prevention.

Influencing factors and attribution analysis of hand/wrist musculoskeletal disorders among welders in an automobile factory / 环境与职业医学

Background Welders in automobile manufacturers are prone to hand/wrist musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which seriously affect workers' physical and mental health. Objective To investigate the factors influencing hand/wrist MSDs of welders in an automobile factory and the population attributable risk percentage (PARP). Methods Five branches of an automobile factory were selected by convenient sampling method, and all qualified welders in the selected branches were enrolled as research participants. The Chinese Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire was used to collect information such as general characteristics of welders, presentation of MSDs in the wrists and hands, and selected ergonomic factors. Log-binomial model in the SAS program was used to calculate the prevalence ratio (PR) of each influencing factor and PARP. Results The prevalence rate of MSDs in the hands/wrists of welders in the automobile factory was 44.1% (345/782). The results of multiple analysis showed that female (PR=1.25, 95%CI: 1.10-1.44), being very tired after work (versus not tired, PR=2.22, 95%CI: 1.16-4.25), twisting wrists (PR=1.44, 95%CI: 1.19-1.74), insufficient operating space (PR=1.22, 95%CI: 1.07-1.40), and holding or pinching objects by hands (PR=1.58, 95%CI: 1.18-2.12) increased the risk of reporting hand/wrist MSDs symptoms. The PARP of major occupational risk factors was: holding or pinching objects by hands, 32.46%; twisting wrists, 21.50%; being very tired after work, 15.28%; and insufficient operating space, 8.18%. Conclusion The prevalence of MSDs symptoms in hands/wrists of welders in this automobile factory is high. Gender, holding or pinching objects by hands, twisting wrists, being very tired after work, and insufficient operating space are the factors affecting hand/wrist MSDs, among which holding or pinching objects by hands and twisting wrists are the priority intervention factors.

Influencing factors and population attributable risk percent of low back pain in automobile assemblers / 中国职业医学

Objective: To investigate the influencing factors and population attributable risk percent (PAR%) of low back pain in automobile assemblers. Methods: A total of 634 assemblers from 11 automobile manufacturers in Shiyan City, Hubei Province were chosen as research subjects using judgment sampling method. The prevalence of low back pain in the past one year was investigated using Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire. PAR% was used to analyze the contribution of influencing factors to low back pain. Results: The annual prevalence of low back pain was 68.8%. The results of multivariate logistics regression showed that length of service>15 years, high school or secondary college education or above, standing most of the time, sitting most of the time, the proportion of cumulative time of poor posture in work shift time ≥1/8, and bending for insufficient height of working space were the risk factors for low back pain (all P<0.05). The PAR% of the proportion of cumulative time of poor posture in work shift time ≥1/8 was 43.0%, 37.8% for standing most of the time, and 12.8% for bending for insufficient height of working space. Conclusion: The annual prevalence of low back pain was higher in automobile assemblers. The influencing factors included individual factors and occupational factors. The proportion of cumulative time of poor posture in work shift time ≥1/8, standing most of the time and bending for insufficient height of working space should be taken as the priority intervention factors to reduce the prevalence of low back pain among assemblers in this enterprise.

Analysis of noise hazard characteristics in automobile sand casting industry / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To study the characteristics of noise hazards in automobile sand casting industry and understand the impact of noise on the health of automobile foundry workers, and to provide scientific data support for the control of noise hazards. Methods An automobile sand casting enterprise was selected as the research object. The post noise intensity test results from 2010 to 2019, the noise spectrum test results of each post in 2019, and the prevalence of occupational noise deafness in the 10 years from 2010 to 2019 were analyzed and sorted out. Using chi-square test and t-test the noise hazard characteristics and noise intensity changes were statistically analyzed. Results 1. The noise LEX.8h exceeding standard rate of foundry enterprises in the 10 years from 2010 to 2019 was not statistically significant（χ2=6.76, P=0.66), and the mean value of noise LEX.8h fluctuated horizontally in the 10 years, which was basically stable between 80 - 90 dB (A). 2. The mean value of noise intensity of sand falling, sand preparation, cleaning and shot blasting in the first five years was significantly different compared to that in the last five years. There was no statistically significant difference in other posts. 3. Among all posts in the foundry sand casting industry, the noise spectrum of core-making and cleaning posts was mainly medium and high frequency, while the noise spectrum of other posts was mainly medium and low frequency. 4, Cases of occupational noise deafness were mainly concentrated in cleaning and polishing workers, melting chemical workers, inspectors and other types of workers. Conclusions The noise hazards in the automobile foundry sand casting industry are mainly concentrated on the posts of molding, and sand falling, and the noise intensity and the over standard rate remain high in the past 10 years. The noise of each post is mainly medium and low frequency, and the noise of a few individual posts is mainly medium and high frequency. In recent years, due to the automatic renewal of equipment, the noise intensity of some posts such as sand dropping, sand mixing, cleaning and shot blasting has decreased, but the overall noise exceeding standard rate has basically not changed, and the noise hazard is still serious. The noise hazard of foundry sand casting enterprises is difficult to be controlled, and the risk of hearing loss of foundry workers is still high.

Moderation effect of antecedent rainfall conditions on incidence of bacillary dysentery following heavy rainfall in Anhui Province / 环境与职业医学

Background Climate change leads to frequent heavy rainfall events, and higher incidences of bacillary dysentery after heavy rainfall have been observed. The impacts of heavy rainfall and its antecedent rainfall conditions on the disease are worth paying attention to. Objective To quantitatively analyze how the relationship between heavy rainfall events and bacillary dysentery occurrence is modified by antecedent rainfall conditions in Anhui Province and explore the different moderation effects in urban and rural contexts. Methods CN05.1 meteorological data of Anhui Province and cases of bacillary dysentery of the same area were collected from January 1, 2006 to August 31, 2017. An exposure-response Poisson regression model of heavy rainfall events and the number of daily cases was constructed to explore the moderation effect of antecedent rainfall conditions on the incidence of bacillary dysentery, and further stratified by urban and rural areas. Results This study included 129 459 cases of bacillary dysentery, with a daily average of 30.39. Compared with dry antecedent conditions without heavy rainfall, dry antecedent conditions with heavy rainfall had no obvious different effect on the incidence of bacillary dysentery for the whole province (P>0.05). But wet antecedent conditions significantly increased the risk of bacillary dysentery for the whole province after heavy rainfall (wet antecedent conditions without heavy rainfall: RR=1.281, 95%CI: 1.264-1.298; wet antecedent conditions with heavy rainfall: RR=1.267, 95%CI: 1.167-1.376). After urban and rural stratification, antecedent rainfall conditions also showed a significant moderation effect on the incidence of bacillary dysentery following heavy rainfall events. Compared with dry antecedent conditions without heavy rainfall, dry antecedent conditions with heavy rainfall had no obvious effect on the incidence of bacillary dysentery for the urban and the rural populations (P > 0.05). However, wet antecedent conditions without heavy rainfall (urban: RR=1.391, 95%CI: 1.362-1.421; rural: RR=1.222, 95%CI: 1.201-1.243) and wet antecedent conditions with heavy rainfall (urban: RR=1.364, 95%CI: 1.193-1.559; rural: RR=1.218, 95%CI: 1.098-1.352) significantly increased the risk of bacillary dysentery in both rural and urban areas. Conclusion In the influence of heavy rainfall on the incidence of bacillary dysentery in Anhui Province, antecedent rainfall conditions have a certain moderation effect in the whole province and in both urban and rural areas, and the risk of bacillary dysentery is increased under wet antecedent conditions.

Analysis of work-related low back musculoskeletal disorders among electric welders in an automobile factory / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To explore the prevalence of work-related low back musculoskeletal disorders(WMSDs) among electric welders in an automobile factory and to analyze its individual influence factors. METHODS: A total of 754 electric welders with a service length ≥1.0 years from an automobile factory in Shiyan City were selected using judgment sampling method. The Musculoskeletal Disorders Standard Questionnaire was used to collect the information of low back WMSDs. RESULTS: The annual prevalence of low back WMSDs among electric welders was 65.9%(497/754). The prevalence in females was higher than that in males(78.4% vs 63.1%, P<0.01). The prevalence of WMSDs had a rising tendency with age, educational level and service length(P<0.01). The multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that the risk factors for low back WMSDs were age, gender, and educational level(P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The prevalence of low back WMSDs of electric welders in the automobile factory is high. Gender, age and educational level are the main risk factors affecting low back WMSDs.

Epidemiological analysis on 1 052 cases of COVID-19 in epidemic clusters / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics of the cases of COVID-19 epidemic clusters, and explore the influence of family factors and social factors such as group activities on the spread of the disease. Methods The data of cases of COVID-19 epidemic clusters from 19 January, 2020 to 25 February, 2020 were collected from the official platforms of 36 cities in 6 provinces in China. Descriptive statistical methods, χ 2 test and curve fitting were used to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of the clustered cases. Results By 25 February, 2020, the data of 1 052 cases in 366 epidemic clusters were collected. In these clustered cases, 86.9%(914/1 050) occurred in families. Among the 1 046 cases with gender information, 513 were males (49.0%) and 533 were females (51.0%). The cases were mainly young adults between 18 and 59 years old, accounting for 68.5% (711/1 038). In the 366 epidemic clusters , the clusters in which the first confirmed cases with the history of sojourn in Wuhan or Hubei accounted for 47.0%(172/366). From 19 January to 3 February, 2020, the first confirmed cases with Wuhan or Hubei sojourn history accounted for 66.5%. From 4 to 25 February, the first confirmed cases who had Wuhan or Hubei sojourn history accounted for only 18.2%. The median of interval between the first generation case onset and the second generation case onset was 5 (2-8) days. The median of onset- diagnosis interval of the initial cases was 6 (3-9) days, and the median of onset-diagnosis interval of the secondary cases was 5 (3-8) days. Conclusions Epidemic clusters of COVID-19 were common in many cities outside Wuhan and Hubei. Close contact in family was one of the main causes for the spread of household transmission of the virus. After 4 February, the epidemic clusters were mainly caused by the first generation or second generation cases in local areas, and the time for diagnosis became shorter.

Study on the effects of noise on hypertension and hyperglycemia among occupational workers / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective@#To study the effect of noise on hypertension and hyperglycemia among occupational workers.@*Methods@#Total 670 workers in an automobile manufacturing company were selected as the subjects of physical examination in 2017. According to the noise exposure or not, the subjects were divided into control group (no noise exposure) 143 and contact group (noise exposure) 527. Questionnaire survey and physical examination were conducted. The measurement data were analyzed by t-test, and the count data and grade data were analyzed by χ2 test. The influence of noise on blood glucose, heart rate, blood pressure and other indicators was analyzed by logistic regression, and the OR and 95%CI of each risk factor were calculated.@*Results@#The average age of the control group and the contact group was no significant difference (P>0.05) . There were 139 (20.7%) cases of high systolic pressure, 154 (23.0%) cases of high diastolic pressure, 63 (9.4%) cases of hyperglycemia, 29 (4.3%) cases of tachycardia. Compared with the control group, there were significant differences in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and blood glucose in the contact group (P<0.05) . Compared with the control group, the systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and blood glucose of the subjects in the corresponding age contact group increased significantly (P<0.05) . The years of noise exposure were protective factors for systolic and diastolic blood pressure (OR=0.970, 0.973) .@*Conclusion@#Noise exposure may increase blood pressure and blood sugar of occupational workers, but the effect on heart rate can not be determined.

Establishment and application of public health risk assessment indexes for flood disaster / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a public health risk assessment indexes for flood disaster.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Delphi method and expert consultation were used to establish the public health risk assessment index system and scoring criteria, and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was used to obtain the weight of the indexes. Then, the established index system was applied to evaluate the public health risk of the flood disaster in Anhui province, 2016.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A public health risk assessment system consisting of 5 categories and 17 indexes was constructed. The assessment result of the flood disaster in Anhui province of 2016 showed that the public health risk score was 0.26, suggesting that "the health emergency measures were effective, and the public health risks were effectively controlled".</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The established indexes can effectively assess the health risk of flood disaster and also can provide the reference for other disaster assessment.</p>

Influencing factors of neck pain in automobile industry workers / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To explore the prevalence of neck pain in automobile manufacturing workers and to analyze its influencing factors. METHODS: A total of 1 566 workers with length of service over 1. 0 year from a automobile manufacturing factory were selected by using cluster random sampling method. The Musculoskeletal Disorders Standard Questionnaire was used to investigate the musculoskeletal disorders status of study subjects. The influencing factors that cause neck pain among the automobile manufacturing workers were analyzed. RESULTS: The annual prevalence of neck pain among workers was 57. 4%. The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that workers with older age,longer length of service and higher educational level had higher risk of neck pain( P < 0. 05). The female gender,neck forward,prolonged neck twisting,working with uncomfortable postures,driving,special operating conditions,regularly shifting work,and frequent overtime working promote the occurrence of neck pain( P < 0. 05). CONCLUSION: The gender,age,educational level,length of service,neck forward,prolonged neck twisting,working with uncomfortable postures,driving,special operating conditions,regularly shifting work,and frequent overtime working are influencing factors of neck pain.

Sudden increase in human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in China, September–December 2016

Since the first outbreak of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in humans was identified in 2013, there have been five seasonal epidemics observed in China. An earlier start and a steep increase in the number of humans infected with H7N9 virus was observed between September and December 2016, raising great public concern in domestic and international societies. The epidemiological characteristics of the recently reported confirmed H7N9 cases were analysed. The results suggested that although more cases were reported recently, most cases in the fifth epidemic were still highly sporadically distributed without any epidemiology links; the main characteristics remained unchanged and the genetic characteristics of virus strains that were isolated in this epidemic remained similar to earlier epidemics. Interventions included live poultry market closures in several cities that reported more H7N9 cases recently.

Comparative field study on high flow rate samplers for respirable fraction-A solution to smaller collected masses / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Dust sample mass gain is too smaller to satisfy the limit of detection (LOD) even in most cases during dust sampling at workplaces nowdays, especially for respirable fraction. Therefore, it is aimed to solve the problem by increasing sample load with high flow rate samplers.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In A and B two shipyards respirable welding fume was sampled by high flow rate cyclone samplers of FSP-10 (10 L/min) for 2-2.5 hours and normal flow rate FSP-2 (2 L/min) for 3-4 hours with a stratigy of parallele sampling at the same workpalce, in order to compare their mass gain, coincidence rate with LOD, and airborn dust concentration.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Sample mass gain of 0.97±0.40 mg and 1.61±0.86 mg respectively in the two factories by FSP-10 was significantly higher than that of 0.29±0.12 mg and 0.51±0.27 mg by FSP-2 (t-test, P<0.05 in both cases) , increasing herewith the coincidence rate with LOD from 26.8% (when sampling with FSP-2, calculated together with samples of the two factories) to 89.7%. However there was no significant difference in dust concentrations by the two different samplers, 0.53±1.88 vs 0.73±1.61 mg/m(3) by FSP-2 and FSP-10 in the shipyard A and 1.14±1.78 vs 1.01±1.63 mg/m(3) in the factory B (t-test, P>0.05 in every case) . In addtion, sample loading by FSP-2 was found to be correlated to sampling time (R(2)=0.7906, y=0.002 6x) , therefore, it has to sample for ≥192.3 min to meet the LOD (0.5 mg) in case of normal flow rate.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>By using of high flow rate cyclone FSP-10 the problem of LOD could be solved, along with increased sample mass and similar respirable dust concentration by the two samplers. Some techincal improvements of FSP-10 and increasing of LOD coincidence rate by other methods was also disscussed.</p>

Genomic characteristics of 2 strains of influenza A (H9N2) virus isolated from human infection cases in Anhui province / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To understand genomic characteristics of 2 strains of influenza A (H9N2) virus isolated from human infection cases in Anhui province in 2015.Methods Two human infection with H9N2 virus were confirmed by national influenza surveillance laboratory network in Anhui through viral isolation in April and September,2015,respectively.The full genomic sequences of the two viral isolates were analyzed in this study by using molecular bioinformatics software Mega 6.0.Results Human infection with H9N2 virus was first reported in Anhui province.The analysis of genomic sequence showed that the HA and NA genes of the two H9N2 isolates belonged to A/Chicken/ Shanghai/F/98(H9N2)-like lineage,and shared high identity with H9N2 virus circulating in poultry in 2013.The PB2 and MP genes belonged to the A/quail/Hong Kong/G 1/97-like lineage,and shared high homology with H7N9,H10N8 or H6N2 viruses.The amino acid sequence alignment results showed that several mutations for human infection tropism presented in the two virus strains,including Q226L,H183N and E190T in HA;S31N in M2;63-65 deletion in NA.In addition,the H9N2 influenza virus strains possessed the PSRSSR\GL motif in HA.Meanwhile several human-like signatures,including PA-100A,PA-356R and PA-409N were also found in the two virus strains.Conclusion The H9N2 viruses isolated from human infection cases in Anhui province belonged to a reassortant virus originated from different lineage H9N2 avian influenza virus.The virus has possessed several human susceptibility locus.

Genomic characteristics of 2 strains of influenza A (H9N2) virus isolated from human infection cases in Anhui province / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To understand genomic characteristics of 2 strains of influenza A (H9N2) virus isolated from human infection cases in Anhui province in 2015.Methods Two human infection with H9N2 virus were confirmed by national influenza surveillance laboratory network in Anhui through viral isolation in April and September,2015,respectively.The full genomic sequences of the two viral isolates were analyzed in this study by using molecular bioinformatics software Mega 6.0.Results Human infection with H9N2 virus was first reported in Anhui province.The analysis of genomic sequence showed that the HA and NA genes of the two H9N2 isolates belonged to A/Chicken/ Shanghai/F/98(H9N2)-like lineage,and shared high identity with H9N2 virus circulating in poultry in 2013.The PB2 and MP genes belonged to the A/quail/Hong Kong/G 1/97-like lineage,and shared high homology with H7N9,H10N8 or H6N2 viruses.The amino acid sequence alignment results showed that several mutations for human infection tropism presented in the two virus strains,including Q226L,H183N and E190T in HA;S31N in M2;63-65 deletion in NA.In addition,the H9N2 influenza virus strains possessed the PSRSSR\GL motif in HA.Meanwhile several human-like signatures,including PA-100A,PA-356R and PA-409N were also found in the two virus strains.Conclusion The H9N2 viruses isolated from human infection cases in Anhui province belonged to a reassortant virus originated from different lineage H9N2 avian influenza virus.The virus has possessed several human susceptibility locus.

Epidemiological analysis on the first outbreak of tsutsugamushi disease in Fuyang City of Anhui Province in 2008 / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of an outbreak of tsutsugamushi disease in Fuyang City of Anhui Province.Methods Epidemiological information was collected by case investigation questionnaire of tsutsugamushi disease.Diagnosis was determined by the detection of OXK antigen by Weil-Felix test.Results Seventy-eight cases with tsutsugamushi disease were discovered in the outbreak.All the patients had an experience of working in this area before the starting of symptoms.The clinical features of the patients were fever,headache,skin eschar,tetter and lymphadenectasis.No severe complications occurred in each patient.All the patients recovered after getting deoxycycline.Conclusions This was the first report for the tsutsugamushi disease occurred in Fuyang City of Anhui Province.And the declaration for the new happened tsutsugamushi disease would provide strong support evidence for the prevention and control of this event and ensure the safety for working in this area.Also the deoxycycline was very effective for the treatment of tsutsugamushi disease.