Male sex, younger age, urban residence, and infection with other enteroviruses are risk factors for HFMD reinfection in Chongqing, China.
BACKGROUND: Due to the absence of cross-protection among various enterovirus subtypes, reinfection with hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is frequently observed. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics and influential factors of HFMD reinfection in Chongqing, southwest China. METHODS: The data for cases of HFMD in Chongqing from 2009 to 2022 were obtained from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases of HFMD reinfection were identified through uniform definition. Descriptive epidemiology was employed to depict characteristics of HFMD reinfection cases. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the factors influencing HFMD reinfection. RESULTS: = 74.851, P < 0.001). The reinfection rate was significantly higher in urban areas (3.82%) than that in rural areas (2.85%). The binary logistic regression analysis indicated that male, younger age, living in urban areas, and infection with other enteroviruses were risk factors for HFMD reinfection. CONCLUSION: This study investigated the burden of HFMD reinfection in Chongqing. Male, younger age, residing in urban areas, and infection with other enteroviruses as the serotype of HFMD were associated with a higher likelihood of reinfection. It is necessary to develop targeted health education programs and intervention measures to reduce the reinfection of HFMD in susceptible individuals.
Fu et al. (Fri,) studied this question.