Average income has an influence on epidemics of seasonal influenza.

Average income has an influence on epidemics of seasonal influenza. Jpn J Infect Dis. 2016 Feb 19; Authors: Seike I, Saito N, Saito S, Itoga M, Kayaba H Abstract Understanding the local factors influencing the transmission of communicable disease is important to minimize social damage; the aim of this study was to investigate local factors influencing seasonal influenza epidemics. Four indices (epidemic onset, duration, scale, and steepness of epidemic curves) were defined, and then correlations with regional characteristics and meteorological factors were investigated in Aomori prefecture consisting of six regions, i.e. Seihoku, Chunan and Tosei on the west side, and Sanpachi, Kamikita and Shimokita on the east side. Data was collected from the 2006-2007 to 2014-2015 season. The 2009-2010 season was excluded because of the pandemic of A (H1N1) pdm09. Average income was strongly correlated with epidemic onset, duration and scale. The ratio of children 5 years old and under to the total population was strongly correlated with epidemic duration and scale. Low temperature in January had moderate correlation with epidemic duration and scale. In the cluster analysis, two isolated regions, Seihoku and Chunan, belonged to the same cluster in the four indices of epidemic curves, and other two relatively urbanized regions formed another cluster in three of the four indices. Understanding the local factors influencing seasonal influenza epidem...
Source: Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Tags: Jpn J Infect Dis Source Type: research