Journal Article

Mediterranean spotted fever in Spain, 1997-2014: Epidemiological situation based on hospitalization records

Muro, Antonio, Gomez-Barroso, Diana, Benito, Agustín, Fernandez-Martinez, Amalia, Herrador, Zaida, León, Inmaculada, Vieira, Carmen

2017

Overview

Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a zoonotic disease caused by Rickettsia conorii. In Spain, deficiencies in the official reporting result in misreporting of this disease. This study aims to describe the clinical and temporal-spatial characteristics of MSF hospitalizations between 1997 and 2014. We performed a retrospective descriptive study using the Hospitalization Minimum Data Set (CMBD). All CMBD's hospital discharges with ICD-9 CM code 082.1 were analyzed. Hospitalization rates were calculated and clinical characteristics were described. Spatial distribution of cases and their temporal behavior were also assessed. A total of 4,735 hospitalizations with MSF diagnosis were recorded during the study period, out of which 62.2% were male, mean age of 48. Diabetes mellitus, alcohol dependence syndrome, and chronic liver disease occurred in 10.8%, 2.4% and 2.8% hospitalizations, respectively. The median annual hospitalization rate showed a decreasing trend from a maximum of 12.9 in 1997 to a minimum rate of 3.1 in 2014. Most admissions occurred during the summer, showing a significant annual seasonal behavior. Important regional differences were found. Although MSF hospitalization rates have decreased considerably, it remains a public health problem due to its severity and economic impact. Therefore, it would be desirable to improve its oversight and surveillance.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Abundance / Acquired immune deficiency syndrome / Adolescent / Adult / Adults / Age / Aged / AIDS / Alcoholic beverages / Alcoholism - epidemiology / Analysis / Animal health / Arachnids / Bacteria / Bacterial diseases / Biology and Life Sciences / Biomedical materials / Biomedical research / Black spot / Boutonneuse Fever - diagnosis / Boutonneuse Fever - epidemiology / Boutonneuse Fever - virology / Cadmium / Children / Chronic Disease / Clients / Comorbidity / Complications / Computer programs / Confidentiality / Diabetes / Diabetes mellitus / Diabetes Mellitus - epidemiology / Diagnosis / Dogs / Drug dependence / Economic impact / Epidemiology / Exanthema / Exanthematous typhus / Female / Fever / Geographical distribution / Geriatrics / Headache / Heart diseases / HIV / Hospital Records - statistics & numerical data / Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data / Host-Pathogen Interactions / Human immunodeficiency virus / Humans / Immunoglobulins / Incidence / Infections / Institutions / International Classification of Diseases / Internet / Kidneys / Linear Models / Liver / Liver cirrhosis / Liver diseases / Liver Diseases - epidemiology / Lymphadenopathy / Male / Management / Medical records / Medicine / Medicine and Health Sciences / Middle Aged / Older people / Organs / Parasite control / Parasites / Pathogenesis / Patient Discharge - statistics & numerical data / People and Places / Periodic disease / Public health / Q fever / Regional development / Regional planning / Researchers / Retrospective Studies / Rickettsia conorii - physiology / Rocky Mountain spotted fever / Social Sciences / Social services / Spain - epidemiology / Spatial distribution / Spring (season) / Summer / Syndrome / Tropical diseases / Vectors / World Wide Web / Young Adult / Zoonoses