Molluscum contagiosum in Dutch general practice.
BACKGROUND
While molluscum contagiosum is considered to be a frequently encountered disease, few data on its incidence are known.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to describe the incidence of molluscum contagiosum in Dutch general practice and to assess the importance of venereal molluscum contagiosum.


METHODS
Data were taken from the national survey of morbidity and interventions in general practice, drawn from 103 practices across the Netherlands, with a study population of 332300.


RESULTS
The infection appeared to be common in childhood (cumulative incidence 17% in those aged under 15 years); the adult, sexually transmitted, form was rare. Incidence was higher between January and June than between July and December. Cases were unequally divided between recording practices, which is though to have been caused by the occurrence of small epidemics.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of molluscum contagiosum in Dutch general practice was found to be 2.4 per 1000 person years. Molluscum contagiosum should still be considered as a mainly paediatric disease.
Koning
S
S
Department of General Practice, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Bruijnzeels
M A
MA
van Suijlekom-Smit
L W
LW
van der Wouden
J C
JC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008976:Molluscum Contagiosum / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012621:Seasons; D014505:Urban Population