Incidence of infectious diseases in infants under one year in the Astrakhan region in 2017-2021

The purpose of the study. To analyze the epidemiological situation of “childhood infections” among children under 1 year old for 2017–2021 in the Astrakhan region.

Materials and methods. There were analyzed, epidemiological maps of infants with “children’s” infections as well as maps of inpatient sick infants who were treated in an infectious hospital.

The results of the study. The main complaints of the majority of patients were fever — 87.8% and exanthema syndrome — 84.6%. In rare cases, patients showed catarrhal phenomena of the upper respiratory tract — 13.2%. Dyspeptic phenomena were observed in 15.9% of children. In rare cases, patients had angina — 0.5% and lymphadenopathy — 8.9%. Conjunctivitis and scleritis were observed in 9.6% of infants, including twelve cases with whooping cough, four with chickenpox and 58 with measles. The phenomena of meningitis were observed in one child — 0.1% with chickenpox. Lesions of the lower respiratory tract in the form of bronchitis — in 18.5% of infants, including two infants with chickenpox, 117 infants with whooping cough and 24 infants with measles.

Research limitations. Epidemiological maps of infants with “childhood” infections identified in them were studied, during which data on the structure of the incidence of measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough and chickenpox were analyzed.

Conclusions. The leading place in the incidence in infants falls on chickenpox, group outbreaks of which were repeatedly recorded over 2017 and 2018. There is a decrease in the incidence of infections such as scarlet fever and whooping cough among infants under the age of 1 year. During 2020–2021, against the background of general well-being, there is an increase in the number of cases of measles among children of different age groups, including among infants under the age of 1 year. The main complaints were fever and exanthema syndrome.

Compliance with ethical standards. The conducted research requires no the submission of the conclusion of the biomedical ethics committee or other documents, since all work was carried out with documents, and not with the patients themselves.

Contribution of the authors:
Larina N.S. — collection and processing of material;
Zakaev K.Yu. — approval of the final version of the article;
Kurbangalieva A.R. — material processing;
Kasatkin D.N. — approval of the final version of the article;
Arakelyan R.S. — text writing, statistical data processing, editing, research concept and design, compilation of a list of references, statistical data processing;
Khabirova E.R. — material processing.

Acknowledgment. The study had no sponsorship.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare the absence of obvious and potential conflicts of interest in connection with the publication of this article.

Received: May 10, 2023 / Accepted: October 18, 2023 / Published: November 6, 2024