Department of Internal Medicine, Yangju-si Public Health center, 1533 Buheung-ro, Yangju-si 11498, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
BMC Infect Dis. 2019 Feb 13;19(1):153. doi: 10.1186/s12879-019-3794-9.
The potential effect of the inactivated hantavirus vaccine (IHV) remains controversial; however, it appears to be moderately effective for patients at high risk of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). This study of the epidemiology of HFRS from 2001 to 2017 aimed to examine those at high risk of HFRS in the Republic of Korea (ROK), particularly in terms of disease distribution according to age.
Raw data of HFRS patients recorded in Korea from 2001 to 2017 were obtained from the Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Patients were divided into three age groups: ≤39, 40-69, and ≥ 70 years. The incidence rate per 100,000 individuals in each age group was calculated using population data. The 12-month year was divided into three-month quarters, and the number and proportion of patients corresponding to each quarter were calculated. The effects of time, sex, and quarter on HFRS incidence were assessed in a Poisson regression analysis.
From 2001 to 2017, 7048 HFRS patients were recorded nationwide. Among these patients, the proportion of patients aged ≥70 years increased gradually from 16.4% in 2001 to 43.9% in 2017. Regarding the quarter-year periods, the fourth quarter contained a significantly higher proportion of patients in the ≥70 years group (69.4%) compared to the other age groups. In the Poisson regression analysis, patients aged ≥70 years had a significantly higher relative risk of HFRS incidence within each quartile compared to those in the other age groups (2.102- and 10.029-fold in the third and fourth quarters, respectively). An analysis of disease incidence revealed a more distinct pattern in seasonal variation among those aged ≥70 years compared with other age groups.
In this study of the incidence of HFRS in the ROK, subjects aged ≥70 years exhibited a gradual increase in incidence and a distinct pattern of seasonal variation. These results may be important to identify individuals in Korea who are at high risk of developing HFRS. In future, active immunization programs will be needed to control HFRS among these high-risk groups in Korea.
灭活汉坦病毒疫苗（IHV）的潜在效果仍存在争议；然而，对于肾综合征出血热（HFRS）高危患者，它似乎具有中等效果。本研究旨在调查 2001 年至 2017 年期间韩国 HFRS 的流行病学，特别是根据年龄的疾病分布情况。
从 2001 年至 2017 年韩国疾病控制与预防中心获得的 HFRS 患者的原始数据。患者分为三组：≤39 岁、40-69 岁和≥70 岁。根据人口数据计算每个年龄组每 100000 人发病率。12 个月年分为三个季度，计算每个季度相应的患者人数和比例。在泊松回归分析中评估时间、性别和季度对 HFRS 发病率的影响。
2001 年至 2017 年，全国共记录了 7048 例 HFRS 患者。在这些患者中，≥70 岁患者的比例从 2001 年的 16.4%逐渐增加到 2017 年的 43.9%。关于季度年期间，第四季度≥70 岁组的患者比例明显高于其他年龄组（69.4%）。在泊松回归分析中，与其他年龄组相比，每个季度≥70 岁的患者 HFRS 发病率的相对风险显著更高（第三季度和第四季度分别为 2.102 倍和 10.029 倍）。疾病发病率分析表明，≥70 岁患者的季节性变化模式比其他年龄组更为明显。
在这项对韩国 HFRS 发病率的研究中，≥70 岁的患者发病率逐渐增加，季节性变化模式明显。这些结果对于确定韩国 HFRS 高危人群可能很重要。在未来，需要在韩国的这些高危人群中开展主动免疫计划来控制 HFRS。
