China expands infectious disease direct reporting system

China”s infectious disease direct reporting system has covered 84,000 medical institutions and 28,000 fever clinics across the nation, a senior official said during an academic conference held over the weekend. 

Sun Yang, deputy director of National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, added that the country’s national influenza surveillance network — comprising nearly 1,300 sentinel hospitals and 410 laboratories — has covered all municipal-level regions countrywide, and is in the process of incorporating more counties near land and sea ports. 

In addition, more than 210 general hospitals are carrying out monitoring of over 15 respiratory pathogens, Sun said during the opening ceremony of the 2024 World Influenza Conference held in Boao, Hainan province. 

The two-day event was jointly held by Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, Asia Pacific Alliance for the Control of Influenza, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. 

Sun added that China has also reported human infections with bird flu and influenza flu strains to the World Health Organization in the past, which has aided the global development of relevant vaccines and drugs.

In the future, China will deepen integration of medical treatment and disease prevention, upgrade its direct reporting system, establish a multichannel surveillance system including monitoring of urban wastewater, and promote international cooperation.

Influenza flu is considered one of the major public health risks facing humankind, as climate change, urbanization, intensification of livestock farming and increasingly convenient cross-border have amplified its threats.

Li Qun, deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that influenza flu virus is constantly mutating and there are sporadic outbreaks of human cases with avian influenza worldwide. 

“The risk of a flu pandemic still exists,” he said, adding that more efforts should be made to help strengthen public health systems in developing countries and enhance global collaboration.

Shu Yuelong, president of Asia Pacific Alliance for the Control of Influenza, said it is important to make use of artificial intelligence and other novel vaccine development technologies to expedite development of drugs, vaccines and testing reagents , as well as improve intelligence of disease surveillance and early warning systems.