Spatial-temporal analysis of pulmonary tuberculosis in Hubei Province, China, 2011-2021

PLoS One. 2023 Feb 7;18(2):e0281479. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281479. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is an infectious disease of major public health problem, China is one of the PTB high burden counties in the word. Hubei is one of the provinces having the highest notification rate of tuberculosis in China. This study analyzed the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of PTB in Hubei province for targeted intervention on TB epidemics.

Methods: The data on PTB cases were extracted from the National Tuberculosis Information Management System correspond to population in 103 counties of Hubei Province from 2011 to 2021. The effect of PTB control was measured by variation trend of bacteriologically confirmed PTB notification rate and total PTB notification rate. Time series, spatial autonomic correlation and spatial-temporal scanning methods were used to identify the temporal trends and spatial patterns at county level of Hubei.

Results: A total of 436,955 cases were included in this study. The total PTB notification rate decreased significantly from 81.66 per 100,000 population in 2011 to 52.25 per 100,000 population in 2021. The peak of PTB notification occurred in late spring and early summer annually. This disease was spatially clustering with Global Moran's I values ranged from 0.34 to 0.63 (P< 0.01). Local spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated that the hot spots are mainly distributed in the southwest and southeast of Hubei Province. Using the SaTScan 10.0.2 software, results from the staged spatial-temporal analysis identified sixteen clusters.

Conclusions: This study identified seasonal patterns and spatial-temporal clusters of PTB cases in Hubei province. High-risk areas in southwestern Hubei still exist, and need to focus on and take targeted control and prevention measures.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • China / epidemiology
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Spatial Analysis
  • Spatio-Temporal Analysis
  • Tuberculosis* / epidemiology
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary* / epidemiology

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Special Science and Technology Project for Major Infectious Diseases of China (Grant No. 2017ZX10302301-005-002). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.