Primary syphilis cases in Guangdong Province 1995-2008: Opportunities for linking syphilis control and regional development

BMC Public Health

Research Article

Xiang-Sheng Chen¹  Joseph D Tucker²  Xi-Feng Sun³  Li-Gang Yang³  Bin Yang³  Yong-Feng Chen³  Song-Ying Shen³ 

[1] Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College Institute of Dermatology, National STD Control Center, Nanjing, P.R. China;Division of Infection Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA;Guangdong Provincial Center for Skin Disease & STI Control, Guangzhou, P.R. China;

关键词: Gross Domestic Product;    Syphilis;    Guangdong Province;    Pearl River Delta;    Syphilis Infection;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2458-10-793

 received in 2010-06-17, accepted in 2010-12-30,  发布年份 2010

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundSyphilis cases have risen in many parts of China, with developed regions reporting the greatest share of cases. Since syphilis increases in these areas are likely driven by both increased screening and changes in sexual behaviours, distinguishing between these two factors is important. Examining municipal-level primary syphilis cases with spatial analysis allows a more direct understanding of changing sexual behaviours at a more policy-relevant level.MethodsIn this study we examined all reported primary syphilis cases from Guangdong Province, a southern province in China, since the disease was first incorporated into the mandatory reporting system in 1995. Spatial autocorrelation statistics were used to correlate municipal-level clustering of reported primary syphilis cases and gross domestic product (GDP).ResultsA total of 52,036 primary syphilis cases were reported over the period 1995-2008, and the primary syphilis cases increased from 0.88 per 100,000 population in 1995 to 7.61 per 100,000 in 2008. The Pearl River Delta region has a disproportionate share (44.7%) of syphilis cases compared to other regions. Syphilis cases were spatially clustered (p = 0.01) and Moran's I analysis found that syphilis cases were clustered in municipalities with higher GDP (p = 0.004).ConclusionsPrimary syphilis cases continue to increase in Guangdong Province, especially in the Pearl River Delta region. Considering the economic impact of syphilis and its tendency to spatially cluster, expanded syphilis testing in specific municipalities and further investigating the costs and benefits of syphilis screening are critical next steps.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Yang et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2010