Surveillance of viral hepatitis by using geostatistical tools in district Rawalpindi

Abstract

Medical geography helps to quickly expose data base development, analyzing, modeling, mapping and visualization of data. Present study was aimed to provide data to public health authorities for allocation of resources and prevention of disease in high risk areas. Data related to diseased people was requested from District Health Office Rawalpindi for all the tehsils of Rawalpindi district on monthly basis from 2011–2015. Topographic map of the study area was purchased from Geological Survey of Pakistan where as health facilities locations were recorded using Trimble Nomad 900 receiver and also cross checked by importing it on Google EarthTM for accuracy assessment. Different geo-statistical tools were applied to check the pattern of disease using ArcGIS. Negative values of Moran' I statistic showed random distribution pattern in District Rawalpindi where as Anselin local Moran's I statistic identify the spatial outliers in data for Viral Hepatitis which were Rhc-Kotli Sattian and Bagga Shaikhan from 2011–2015 in Rawalpindi district. Getis-Ord Gi∗ statistic showed hot spots in Rawalpindi, Kotli Sattian and Muree tehsils. Centrographic statistics showed that spread of the disease is from South-West to North-East. This study proposed that there is a serious need to analyze the spatial outlier areas and hotspots to identify the causing agents and to take immediate steps for control of high outbreak of Viral Hepatitis.