The association of cellulitis incidence and meteorological factors in Taiwan

AbstractCellulitis is a common infection of the skin and soft tissue. Susceptibility to cellulitis is related to microorganism virulence, the host immunity status and environmental factors. This retrospective study from 2001 to 2013 investigated relationships between the monthly incidence rate of cellulitis and meteorological factors using data from the Taiwanese Health Insurance Dataset and the Taiwanese Central Weather Bureau. Meteorological data included temperature, hours of sunshine, relative humidity, total rainfall and total number of rainy days. In otal, 195 841 patients were diagnosed with cellulitis and the incidence rate was strongly correlated with temperature (γS = 0.84, P < 0.001), total sunshine hours (γS = 0.65, P < 0.001) and total rainfall (γS = 0.53, P < 0.001). The incidence rate of cellulitis increased by 3.47/100 000 cases for every 1° elevation in environmental temperature. Our results may assist clinicians in educating the public of the increased risk of cellulitis during warm seasons and possible predisposing environmental factors for infection.

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Estimating the weight of a snow cover using only meteorological factors

Annals of Glaciology ◽

10.1017/s0260305500011484 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 18 ◽

pp. 190-192

Author(s):

Kenji Shinojima ◽

Hiroshi Harada

Keyword(s):

Snow Cover ◽

Meteorological Factors ◽

Meteorological Data ◽

Moving Average ◽

Data Acquisition System ◽

Degree Days ◽

Forest Product Research Institute ◽

Temperature And Precipitation ◽

Using Data

We compute the weight of the snow cover as a function of the daily quantity of precipitation and daily melting using only data from the Automated Meteorological Data Acquisition System (AMeDAS), which is used widely in Japan. The correlation between long-term measurements and meteorological data in AMeDAS factors was computed by statistical methods from the Forestry and Forest Product Research Institute, Tokamachi Experiment Station, in Niigata Prefecture, using data for 11 winter seasons (1977–87). The daily quantity of melting is expressed with a three-day moving average of degree days. The coefficient of correlation between the daily groups of each value of the 1323 days during the 11 winter seasons was 0.986 with a standard deviation of ±590 Ν m−2. Thus, if air temperature and precipitation can be obtained for an area, the weight of the snow cover can be estimated with confidence.

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Estimating the weight of a snow cover using only meteorological factors

Annals of Glaciology ◽

10.3189/s0260305500011484 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 18 ◽

pp. 190-192

Author(s):

Kenji Shinojima ◽

Hiroshi Harada

Keyword(s):

Snow Cover ◽

Meteorological Factors ◽

Meteorological Data ◽

Moving Average ◽

Data Acquisition System ◽

Degree Days ◽

Forest Product Research Institute ◽

Temperature And Precipitation ◽

Using Data

We compute the weight of the snow cover as a function of the daily quantity of precipitation and daily melting using only data from the Automated Meteorological Data Acquisition System (AMeDAS), which is used widely in Japan. The correlation between long-term measurements and meteorological data in AMeDAS factors was computed by statistical methods from the Forestry and Forest Product Research Institute, Tokamachi Experiment Station, in Niigata Prefecture, using data for 11 winter seasons (1977–87).The daily quantity of melting is expressed with a three-day moving average of degree days. The coefficient of correlation between the daily groups of each value of the 1323 days during the 11 winter seasons was 0.986 with a standard deviation of ±590 Ν m−2. Thus, if air temperature and precipitation can be obtained for an area, the weight of the snow cover can be estimated with confidence.

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Association Among Sentinel Surveillance, Meteorological Factors, and Infectious Disease in Gwangju, Korea

10.21203/rs.3.rs-658178/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

You Hyun Joung ◽

Taesu Jang ◽

Jae Kyung Kim

Keyword(s):

Infectious Diseases ◽

Meteorological Factors ◽

Climatic Factors ◽

Meteorological Data ◽

Sentinel Surveillance ◽

E Coli ◽

Average Temperature ◽

Using Data ◽

Strong Seasonality ◽

Sentinel Surveillance System

Abstract Introduction: The outbreak of new infectious diseases is threatening human survival. Transmission of such diseases is determined by several factors, with climate being a very important factor. This study was conducted to assess the correlation between the occurrence of infectious diseases and climatic factors using data from the Sentinel Surveillance System and meteorological data from Gwangju, Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea. Result The climate of Gwangju from June to September is humid, with this city having the highest average temperature, whereas that from December to February is cold and dry. Infection rates of Salmonella (Temperature: r = 0.710**; Relative humidity: r = 0.669**), E. coli (r = 0.617**; r = 0.626**), Rotavirus (r=-0.408**; r=-0.618**), Norovirus (r=-0.463**; r=-0.316**), Influenza virus (r=-0.726**; r=-0.672**), Coronavirus (r=-0.684**; r=-0.408**), and Coxsackievirus (r = 0.654**; r = 0.548**) have been shown to have a high correlation with seasonal changes, specifically in these meteorological factors. Discussion & Conclusions: Pathogens showing distinct seasonality in the occurrence of infection were observed, and there was a high correlation with the climate characteristics of Gwangju. In particular, viral diseases show strong seasonality, and further research on this matter is needed. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, quarantine and prevention have become important to block the spread of infectious diseases. For this purpose, studies that predicts infectivity through various types of data related to infection are important.

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SARS-CoV-2 infections in people with PCD: neither frequent, nor particularly severe

10.1101/2020.12.20.20248420 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Eva SL Pedersen ◽

Myrofora Goutaki ◽

Amanda L Harris ◽

Lucy Dixon ◽

Michele Manion ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Incidence Rate ◽

Severe Symptom ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Severe Disease ◽

Median Number ◽

Disease Course ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Using Data ◽

Ciliary Dyskinesia

AbstractPeople with pre-existing chronic health conditions are reportedly at high risk of getting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and of having a severe disease course but little data exist on rare diseases such as Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD). We studied risk and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections among people with PCD using data from the COVID-PCD, a participatory study that collects data in real-time directly from people with PCD. Data was collected using online questionnaires. A baseline questionnaire collected information on demographic data, information about the PCD diagnosis and severity. A short weekly questionnaire collected information about current symptoms and incident SARS-CoV-2 infections. 578 people participated in the COVID-PCD by December 7, 2020, with a median number of follow-up weeks of 9 (interquartile range: 4-19 weeks). 256 (45%) of the participants had been tested for SARS-CoV-2 and 12 tested positive prior to study entry or during study follow up (2.1% of the total included population, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-3.6%). 4 people tested positive during the study follow-up, corresponding to an incidence rate of 2.5 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 0.9-6.5). Overall, reported severity was mild with two reporting no symptoms, eight reporting mild symptoms, one reporting severe symptom without hospitalisation, and one reporting hospitalisation for 9 days. The study suggests that with careful personal protection, people with PCD do not seem to have an increased risk of infection with SARS-COV-2, nor an especially severe disease course.Take home messageIn this longitudinal study of people with PCD followed weekly via online questionnaires, the incidence rate of COVID-19 and the proportion of participants infected were low, and the observed severity mostly mild.

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Impact of temperature decline from the previous day as a trigger of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage: case-crossover study of prefectural stroke database

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2019.4.jns19175 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 133 (2) ◽

pp. 374-382

Author(s):

Hitoshi Fukuda ◽

Hitoshi Ninomiya ◽

Yusuke Ueba ◽

Tsuyoshi Ohta ◽

Toshiaki Kaneko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ◽

Environmental Factors ◽

Crossover Study ◽

Meteorological Factors ◽

Meteorological Data ◽

Study Data ◽

Case Crossover ◽

Meteorological Observatory ◽

Spontaneous Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ◽

Stratified Analysis

OBJECTIVESeveral environmental factors have been reported to correlate with incidence of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, because of different patient selection and study designs among these studies, meteorological factors that trigger the incidence of SAH in a short hazard period remain unknown. Among meteorological factors, daily temperature changes may disrupt and violate homeostasis and predispose to cerebrovascular circulatory disturbances and strokes. The authors aimed to investigate whether a decline in the temperature from the highest of the previous day to the lowest of the event day (temperature decline from the previous day [TDP]) triggers SAH in the prefecture-wide stroke database.METHODSAll 28 participating institutions with primary or comprehensive stroke centers located throughout Kochi Prefecture, Japan, were included in the study. Data collected between January 2012 and December 2016 were analyzed, and 715 consecutive SAH patients with a defined date of onset were enrolled. Meteorological data in this period were obtained from the Kochi Local Meteorological Observatory. A case-crossover study was performed to investigate association of TDP and other environmental factors with onset of SAH.RESULTSThe increasing TDP in 1°C on the day of the SAH event was associated with an increased incidence of SAH (OR 1.041, 95% CI 1.007–1.077) after adjustment for other environmental factors. According to the stratified analysis, a significant association between TDP and SAH was observed in women, patients < 65 years old, and patients with weekday onset. Among these factors, increasing TDP had a great impact on SAH onset in patients < 65 years old (p = 0.028, Mann-Whitney U-test).CONCLUSIONSTDP, temperature decline from the highest of the previous day to the lowest of the day, was correlated with the incidence of spontaneous SAH, particularly in younger patients < 65 years old.

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Identifying high risk areas of Zika virus infection by meteorological factors in Colombia

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/s12879-019-4499-9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lung-Chang Chien ◽

Francisco Sy ◽

Adriana Pérez

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

High Risk ◽

Zika Virus ◽

Meteorological Factors ◽

Meteorological Data ◽

Warning System ◽

Zikv Infection ◽

Total Rainfall ◽

Average Temperature ◽

Risk Areas

Abstract Background Several Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks have occurred since October 2015. Because there is no effective treatment for ZIKV infection, developing an effective surveillance and warning system is currently a high priority to prevent ZIKV infection. Despite Aedes mosquitos having been known to spread ZIKV, the calculation approach is diverse, and only applied to local areas. This study used meteorological measurements to monitor ZIKV infection due to the high correlation between climate change and Aedes mosquitos and the convenience to obtain meteorological data from weather monitoring stations. Methods This study applied the Bayesian structured additive regression modeling approach to include spatial interactive terms with meteorological factors and a geospatial function in a zero-inflated Poisson model. The study area contained 32 administrative departments in Colombia from October 2015 to December 2017. Weekly ZIKV infection cases and daily meteorological measurements were collected. Mapping techniques were adopted to visualize spatial findings. A series of model selections determined the best combinations of meteorological factors in the same model. Results When multiple meteorological factors are considered in the same model, both total rainfall and average temperature can best assess the geographic disparities of ZIKV infection. Meanwhile, a 1-in. increase in rainfall is associated with an increase in the logarithm of relative risk (logRR) of ZIKV infection of at most 1.66 (95% credible interval [CI] = 1.09, 2.15) as well as a 1 °F increase in average temperature is significantly associated with at most 0.79 (95% CI = 0.12, 1.22) increase in the logRR of ZIKV. Moreover, after controlling rainfall and average temperature, an independent geospatial function in the model results in two departments with an excessive ZIKV risk which may be explained by unobserved factors other than total rainfall and average temperature. Conclusion Our study found that meteorological factors are significantly associated with ZIKV infection across departments. The study determined both total rainfall and average temperature as the best meteorological factors to identify high risk departments of ZIKV infection. These findings can help governmental agencies monitor at risk areas according to meteorological measurements, and develop preventions in those at risk areas in priority.

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Impact of Temperature and Rainfall on Typhoid/Paratyphoid Fever in Taizhou, China: Effect Estimation and Vulnerable Group Identification

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene ◽

10.4269/ajtmh.20-1457 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Qi Gao ◽

Zhidong Liu ◽

Jianjun Xiang ◽

Ying Zhang ◽

Michael Xiaoliang Tong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Typhoid Fever ◽

Meteorological Data ◽

Group Identification ◽

Cumulative Risk ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Subtropical Climate ◽

Total Rainfall ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Paratyphoid Fever ◽

The Impact

The impact of temperature and rainfall on the occurrence of typhoid/paratyphoid fever are not fully understood. This study aimed to characterize the effect of daily ambient temperature and total rainfall on the incidence of typhoid/paratyphoid in a sub-tropical climate city of China and to identify the vulnerable groups for disease prevention. Daily notified typhoid/paratyphoid fever cases and meteorological data for Taizhou from 2005 to 2013 were extracted from the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System and the Meteorological Data Sharing Service System, respectively. Distributed lag nonlinear model was used to quantify the association between daily mean temperature, total rainfall, and typhoid/paratyphoid fever. Subgroup analyses by gender, age, and occupation were conducted to identify the vulnerable groups. A total of 625 typhoid fever cases and 1,353 paratyphoid fever cases were reported during the study period. An increased risk of typhoid fever was detected with the increase of temperature (Each 2°C rise resulted in 6%, 95% [confidence interval] CI: 2–10 increase in typhoid cases), while the increased risk was associated with the higher temperature for paratyphoid (the highest cumulative risk of temperature was 33.40 [95% CI: 12.23–91.19] at 33°C). After the onset of mild precipitation, the relative risk of typhoid fever increased in a short-lasting and with a 13–26 days delay, and the risk was no significant after the continuous increase of precipitation (the highest cumulative risk of rainfall was 24.96 [95% CI: 4.54–87.21] at 100 mm). Whereas the risk of paratyphoid fever was immediate and long lasting, and increase rapidly with the increase of rainfall (each 100 mm increase was associated with 26% increase in paratyphoid fever cases). Significant temperature-typhoid/paratyphoid fever and rainfall-typhoid/paratyphoid fever associations were found in both genders and those aged 0–4 years old, 15–60 years old, farmers, and children. Characterized with a lagged, nonlinear, and cumulative effect, high temperature and rainfall could increase the risk of typhoid/paratyphoid fever in regions with a subtropical climate. Public health interventions such as early warning and community health education should be taken to prevent the increased risk of typhoid/paratyphoid fever, especially for the vulnerable groups.

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Association between haemorrhoids and Graves’ disease: a retrospective cohort study using data from Taiwan’s Longitudinal Health Insurance Database

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053442 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. e053442

Author(s):

Shang-Rong Zhong ◽

Hsin-Hung Chen ◽

Chun-Cheng Liao ◽

Chun-Hung Su ◽

Hei-Tung Yip ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Insurance ◽

Incidence Rate ◽

Cumulative Incidence ◽

International Classification Of Diseases ◽

Graves Disease ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Classification Of Diseases ◽

Health Insurance Database ◽

Using Data ◽

Insurance Database

ObjectiveTo evaluate the relationship between haemorrhoids and Graves’ disease (GD).SettingUsing the nationwide data from Taiwan’s Longitudinal Health Insurance Database.ParticipantsWe conducted a retrospective study, stratified patients by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification disease code and compared the incidence rate of GD between patients with and without haemorrhoids. The study period was from 2000 to 2010, with exclusion of patients with diagnosed haemorrhoids before 2000 or after 2009, and we analysed the HR of GD in the univariable and multivariable models as well as the cumulative incidence curves of GD by using Kaplan-Meier curves.ResultThis study included 13 165 and 52 660 patients with and without haemorrhoids, respectively. The mean follow-up duration was approximately 6 years. The incidence rate of GD was 1.57 and 1.13 per 1000 person-years in patients with and without haemorrhoids, respectively. The area under the cumulative incidence curve of GD in patients with haemorrhoids was higher than that of patients without haemorrhoids. The risk of GD increased by 1.39 times (95% CI 1.13 to 1.71) in patients with haemorrhoids compared with patients without haemorrhoids. In the subgroup analysis, women with haemorrhoids had a higher risk of GD (adjusted HR 1.44; 95% CI 1.13 to 1.83). Patients with haemorrhoids aged 30–39 years were more likely to develop GD (adjusted HR 1.73; 95% CI 1.18 to 2.55).ConclusionThe findings of this study indicate that patients with haemorrhoids may have an increased risk of GD compared with other potential confounding factors.

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Inhaled corticosteroids and the risk of type 2 diabetes among Swedish COPD patients

npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine ◽

10.1038/s41533-020-00207-7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Björn Ställberg ◽

Christer Janson ◽

Karin Lisspers ◽

Gunnar Johansson ◽

Florian S. Gutzwiller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Incidence Rate ◽

Inhaled Corticosteroids ◽

High Dose ◽

Primary Care Settings ◽

Copd Patients ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Yearly Incidence ◽

Using Data

Abstract This study reports the association of ICS use and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Swedish patients with COPD using data from real-world, primary care settings. A total of 7078 patients with COPD were included in this analysis and the 5-year cumulative incidence rate per 100,000 person years was 1506.9. The yearly incidence rate per 100,000 person years ranged from 850 to 1919. Use of ICS especially at a high dose in patients with COPD was related to an increased risk of T2DM.

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Incidence of atrial fibrillation, ischaemic heart disease and heart failure in patients with diabetes

Cardiovascular Diabetology ◽

10.1186/s12933-021-01313-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Amy Groenewegen ◽

Victor W. Zwartkruis ◽

Betül Cekic ◽

Rudolf. A. de Boer ◽

Michiel Rienstra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Ischaemic Heart Disease ◽

Incidence Rate ◽

Diabetes Status ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Patients With Diabetes ◽

Rate Ratios ◽

Age And Sex

Abstract Background Diabetes has strongly been linked to atrial fibrillation, ischaemic heart disease and heart failure. The epidemiology of these cardiovascular diseases is changing, however, due to changes in prevalence of obesity-related conditions and preventive measures. Recent population studies on incidence of atrial fibrillation, ischaemic heart disease and heart failure in patients with diabetes are needed. Methods A dynamic longitudinal cohort study was performed using primary care databases of the Julius General Practitioners’ Network. Diabetes status was determined at baseline (1 January 2014 or upon entering the cohort) and participants were followed-up for atrial fibrillation, ischaemic heart disease and heart failure until 1 February 2019. Age and sex-specific incidence and incidence rate ratios were calculated. Results Mean follow-up was 4.2 years, 12,168 patients were included in the diabetes group, and 130,143 individuals in the background group. Incidence rate ratios, adjusted for age and sex, were 1.17 (95% confidence interval 1.06–1.30) for atrial fibrillation, 1.66 (1.55–1.83) for ischaemic heart disease, and 2.36 (2.10–2.64) for heart failure. Overall, incidence rate ratios were highest in the younger age categories, converging thereafter. Conclusion There is a clear association between diabetes and incidence of the major chronic progressive heart diseases, notably with heart failure with a more than twice increased risk.

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