Rabies is one of the important zoonotic infectious diseases, with a mortality rate of almost 100%. Rabies is a vaccine preventable disease, and proper rabies exposure prophylaxis can effectively prevent the occurrence of human rabies. In recent years, there has been significant progress in clinical research on the rabies exposure prophylaxis both domestically and internationally. World Health Organization (WHO) released the Rabies Vaccine: WHO Position Paper-April 2018. In order to guide medical institutions of all levels in rabies exposure prophylaxis, the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control, in conjunction with the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, organized the Rabies Vaccine Working Group of the National Immunization Program Technical Working Group and invited experts to revise and issue the National Regulation for the Rabies Exposure Prophylaxis (2023 Edition). This article compares the National Regulation for the Rabies Exposure Prophylaxis (2009 Edition) and interprets the updated key points and supporting basis of the new version of the guidelines to guide clinical application and implementation.

Post-exposure prophylaxis plays an important role in the continued decline of rabies epidemic in China. In the new era, significant progress has been made in the professional construction of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis; the theoretical and practical basis of subject setting has become mature gradually; related medical and biotechnology industries are developing rapidly; innovative research is synchronized with the international level and gradually approaching the leading level; the international and domestic influence is expanding day by day; the series of humanized service measures under standardized management meets the health needs of the people. The rabies post-exposure prophylaxis in China is stepping into the new situation.

Objective To investigate the ability in diagnosing and reporting brucellosis of primary medical personnel in Suide County of Shaanxi Province,and provide scientific basis for making prevention and control strategies.Methods Convenience sampling method was adopted in October 2016.A questionnaire survey was conducted among the county hospitals,township hospitals,village clinics and individual clinics in Suide County to collect information on the ability in diagnosing and reporting brucellosis of primary medical personnel.The specific content includes the basic information,the awareness of brucellosis diagnosis and reporting capabilities,the situation of brucellosis training,and the views about the diagnosis of brucellosis.SPSS 18.0 software was used to carry out descriptive statistical analysis.Results A total of 77 primary healthcare workers were surveyed.Their average age was (38 ± 9) years old,57.1％ (44/77) workers were undergraduates,and 53.2％ (41/77) were working in county hospitals.9.1％ (7/77) were completely aware of the major infectious diseases,29.9％ (23/77) were fully aware of the transmission mute,28.6％ (22/77) and 66.2％ (51/77) known the high risk population and the epidemiological history of brucellosis.Twenty-six percent (20/77) of the medical staff were thoroughly aware of the main clinical manifestations,68.8％ (53/77) were clearly aware of the clinical stage of brucellosis;24.7％ (19/77) could understand the specificity of the laboratory tests of brucellosis;44.2％ (34/77) had a strong ability in reporting brucellosis.71.4％ (55/77) of the medical staff received the training about the knowledge of brucellosis;49.4％ (38/77) thought that the clinical manifestation was the most difficult to grasp in the criteria about diagnosis of brucellosis.Conclusions The ability of diagnosis and reporting of brucellosis is weak in primary healthcare workers in Suide County,the epidemiology and clinical knowledge of brucellosis are not comprehensive.It is suggested to strengthen the understanding of brucellosis among medical staff,especially in primary healthcare workers.We should carry out the training of disease epidemiology and clinical knowledge of brucellosis and standardize patient management.

Non-neonatal tetanus is an acute, specific, toxic disease in patients over 28 days of age, characterized by continuous rigidity and paroxysmal spasms of the skeletal muscles throughout the body caused by the intrusion of Clostridium tetani through skin or mucosal membrane into the body and reproducing in anaerobic environments to produce exotoxins. The mortality rate of severe patients is close to 100% without medical intervention. Even with aggressive comprehensive treatment, the global mortality rate remains at 30%-50%, making it a potentially fatal disease. In order to standardize the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of non-neonatal tetanus, based on "Regulation for Diagnosis and Treatment of Non-neonatal Tetanus (2019 Edition)", experts have revised this regulation according to clinical practice and recent research progress in this field to guide medical institutions in the prevention and control of non-neonatal tetanus. This article interprets the key points and basis for updating the 2024 edition regulation to guide clinical implementation and application.

The purified Vero cell rabies vaccine (PVRV) has been used in rabies prevention for more than 40 years. A comprehensive review of the relevant researches on PVRV in rabies prevention at local and overseas in recent years shows that in the simplified Zagreb immunization program, PVRV has the similar immunogenicity and safety as in the standard Essen program. PVRV, purified chicken embryo cell rabies vaccine (PCECV) and human diploid cell rabies vaccine (HDCV) have similar immunogenicity and safety. PVRV also has good immunogenicity and safety in special populations such as those with diseases. The combined vaccination of PVRV and acellular diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and inactivated poliomyelitis combined vaccine (DTP-IPV) or others did not find immune interference, which provided feasibility for children to vaccinate against rabies at the same time of vaccinating with planned vaccines. The combination of PVRV and equine rabies immunoglobulin can also achieve better prevention effect. PVRV plays an important role in the prevention of rabies, and its wide application will make a positive contribution to achieving the goal of eliminating rabies transmitted from dogs to humans by 2030 proposed by World Health Organization (WHO).

Objective To learn the diagnosis and treatment of brucellosis patients in Suide County of Shaanxi Province in 2015,and to provide a scientific basis for making accurate prevention and control measures.Methods All the cases diagnosed as brucellosis in Suide County from January 1 to December 31 in 2015 and lived in this county were retrospectively investigated by case questionnaire survey,including basic information,medical procedures,and epidemiological contacts.Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 18.0 software.Results In 2015,75 cases of brucellosis were diagnosed in Suide County,75 questionnaires were distributed,with 53 completed questionnaires returned.The average age of respondents was (49 ± 14) years old,of which 84.9％ (45/53) were male and 94.3％ (50/53) were farmers,except one case was actively monitored by Suide County Centre for Disease Control and Prevention then treated,the rest of the patients were treated after the onset of the disease.Of the 52 patients,one patient was diagnosed after one visit,accounting for 25.0％ (13/52);one patient was diagnosed after at least 4 visits,accounting for 3.8％ (2/52).The cumulative diagnosis rate at provincial-level hospitals was 1/3 and that at disease prevention and control institutions was 92.7％ (51/55),there were no confirmed cases in municipal hospitals,county hospitals,township hospitals,village clinics and individual clinics.For the first reason to see a doctor,65.4％ (34/52) of the patients were fever or accompanied by sweating,fatigue,arthralgia and waist and leg pain.The medians from onset to treatment between the first diagnosis,and 2,3,4 visits were 15,18,27,45 days,respectively;the median from onset to diagnosis was 21 days,ranging from 2 to 182 days.Totally 84.9％ (45/53) patients had a history of exposure to animals,of which 97.8％ (44/45) had contacted the sheep.Conclusions The cases in Suide County are mainly adult male farmers,and the diagnosis rate at hospitals below municipal level is low.It is recommended to strengthen the health intervention of high-risk groups and improve the level of diagnosis and treatment of primary medical staff.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of outbreaks of dengue fever in China from 2015 to 2018, and provide evidence for the prevention and control of dengue fever.Methods:We extracted the incidence data of dengue fever from China Disease Prevention and Control Information System, Public Health Emergency Reporting Management Information System and Vector Biological Monitoring System, and explored the epidemiological characteristics of the outbreaks in the past four years. Excel 2010 software and SPSS 20.0 software were used for data processing and analysis, ArcGIS 10.5 software was used for mapping.Results:A total of 111 outbreaks of dengue fever were reported nationwide from 2015 to 2018, involving 12 490 cases, accounting for 73.7% of the total cases in China. These outbreaks occurred in 85 counties and districts of 4 provinces, namely Guangdong (77 outbreaks), Yunnan (14 outbreaks), Zhejiang (8 outbreaks) and Fujian (8 outbreaks). The outbreaks occurred during May-November. Small-scale outbreaks with no more than 10 cases ended within 30 days (28/34, 82.4%) and larger-scale outbreaks lasted for several months. Dengue virus type 1 and type 2 were the main epidemic pathogens of dengue fever outbreaks in China. The outbreaks mainly occurred in areas with high population density and poor sanitary environment. There were significant differences in the age and occupational composition of the cases in the main outbreak provinces.Conclusions:Outbreaks of dengue fever can been seen in more areas in China, even in high latitudes areas. The epidemiologic characteristics of the outbreaks were different among provinces, showing as port type, rural type and urban type. Each province should adjust the control strategies accordingly.

Objective:To explore the spatio-temporal patterns and epidemic characteristics of imported dengue fever cases in six provinces (Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian and Zhejiang) of China from 2016 to 2018.Methods:In this study, we collected the surveillance data of imported dengue fever cases from 2016 to 2018 in six southern provinces of China. The risk intensity, spatio-temporal distribution and epidemiological characteristics of imported dengue fever cases in the six provinces were analyzed from the perspective of space, time and population.Results:Among the imported cases of dengue fever in China from other countries in the world, most of them were from Southeast Asia. In Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong provinces, there were greater number of imported cases with wide range of sources. While in Yunnan, Guangxi and Hainan provinces, the imported cases were almost from Southeast Asia. The incidence of imported dengue fever increased during the past three years, and the annual incidence peak was during August-November, but slight differences were observed among provinces. The age of the imported cases in Hainan[(37.0±19.6) years] was higher than that in southeastern coastal provinces[(36.0±11.7) years] and in southwestern provinces[(32.0±16.3) years]. The male-female ratio of the cases in southeastern coastal provinces (2.18∶1) were higher than those in southwestern provinces (1.04∶1) and Hainan (1.38∶1). The occupations of the cases were mainly workers and unemployed people in southeastern coastal provinces and farmers in southwestern provinces, but commercial personnel was the population with high incidence in both southeastern and southwestern provinces. Less imported dengue fever cases were reported in Hainan, the population distribution varied.Conclusions:There were differences in incidence pattern of imported dengue fever between southeastern coastal provinces and southwestern provinces as well as Hainan in China. Different prevention and control measures should be carried out in different areas to implement more precise prevention strategies.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in China from 2011 to 2021, and provide evidence for the prevention and control of SFTS.Methods:The incidence data of SFTS were collected from the National Disease Reporting Information System of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention for a descriptive epidemiological analysis and Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to evaluate the association between age and the morbidity rate and case fatality rate (CFR) of SFTS.Results:From 2011 to 2021, a total of 18 902 laboratory confirmed cases of SFTS, including 966 deaths, were reported in 533 counties (districts) of 154 prefecture-level cities in 27 provinces. The annual average morbidity rate was 0.125/100 000, and the annual average CFR was 5.11%. From 2011 to 2021 the overall morbidity rate of SFTS was in increase with an average annual percentage change (AAPC) of 14.80% ( P=0.001). Most cases (99.23%) occurred in 7 provinces, including Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Hubei, Liaoning, Zhejiang and Jiangsu, with 70.28% of the cases in 11 prefecture-level cities. The average annual CFRs in the 7 provinces varied greatly from 1.30% to 11.27%. In 2011, SFTS cases were reported in 108 counties (districts) of 51 prefecture-level cities in 13 provinces, but SFTS cases were reported in 277 counties (districts) of 88 prefecture-level cities in 19 provinces in 2021, the disease spread from central area to the northeast and from the west and the south. SFTS mainly occurred in summer and autumn in both southern and northern China, and 96.63% of the cases were reported from April to October, and the incidence peak was during May-June. The cases mainly occurred in age group 50-74 years (69.46%), and the deaths mainly occurred in age group ≥60 years (79.71%). Both the morbidity rate and the CFR increased with age. The morbidity rate increased from 0.040/100 000 in age group 0-4 years to 4.480/100 000 in age group ≥80 years in males ( χ2=13 185.21, P<0.001) and from 0.038/100 000 in age group 0-4 years to 3.318/100 000 in age group ≥80 years in females ( χ2=12 939.83, P<0.001); the CFR increased from 0.70% in age group 30-34 years to 11.58% in age group ≥80 years in males ( χ2=115.70, P<0.001) and from 1.56% in age group 35-39 years to 8.98% in age group ≥80 years in females ( χ2=103.42, P<0.001). Conclusion:From 2011 to 2021, the incidence of SFTS increased in China, and the spread and obvious spatiotemporal distribution of SFTS were observed. The reported CFR varied greatly with area, and both the morbidity and mortality risk were high in the elderly.

Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics of rabies in China from 2007 to 2018, and to provide reference information for formulating strategies to eliminate rabies.Methods:The incidence data were obtained from the national notifiable communicable disease reporting information system in China to analyze the spatial, population and time distribution of human rabies cases.Results:From 2007 to 2018, 17 848 cases of human rabies were reported nationwide. 57% of the cases were reported in 6 provinces, including Guangxi, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hunan, Henan and Sichuan. A total of 37 counties reported more than 50 cases. The number of reported cases decreased from 3 300 in 2007 to 422 in 2018, with an average annual decline rate of 7%. The number of districts and counties involved decreased from 984 in 2007 to 308 in 2018. The population aged 35-75 years accounted for 67%, followed by the population aged 0-15 years (17%). Farmers accounted for 70% of the total number of cases, followed by students (11%) and scattered children (6%).Conclusions:China′s human rabies epidemic has changed from a regional epidemic to a multi-regional spread.