Reportable Bacterial Infections among New York City-Born Infants, 2001-2009.
OBJECTIVE
To determine rates of reportable bacterial infections among infants in New York City and identify populations at risk and preventable causes of morbidity.


METHODS
This retrospective cohort study matched live births in New York City from 2001-2009 to reported cases of bacterial infections among infants less than 1 year of age. Characteristics recorded on birth certificates were compared between infants with bacterial enteric infection, bacterial nonenteric infection, and no reportable bacterial infection. Multinomial logistic regression and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify risk factors for infection.


RESULTS
Bacterial infection was reported in 4.6 cases per 1000 live births. Of 4524 infants with a reportable infection, the majority (2880, 63%) had an enteric infection. Asian/Pacific Islanders in Brooklyn were the borough-level race/ethnic group with the highest enteric infection rate (8.5 per 1000 live births). Citywide, infants with enteric infections were disproportionately male, from higher poverty neighborhoods, born to foreign-born mothers, and enrolled in Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children or Medicaid. In contrast, infants with nonenteric infections were more likely to have low birthweight and mothers characterized by US birth and black race or white Hispanic race/ethnicity.


CONCLUSIONS
Distinct patterns of risk factors for enteric and nonenteric bacterial infections among infants were identified. The results suggest that infants born to Asian/Pacific Islander mothers residing in Brooklyn should be a focus of enteric disease prevention. More research is necessary to better understand what behaviors increase the risk of enteric disease in this population.
Division of Disease Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Queens, NY; Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY. Electronic address: bisaac@health.nyc.gov.
Beth M
BM
Isaac
Division of Epidemiology, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Queens, NY.
Abbey
A
Masonbrink
Division of Epidemiology, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Queens, NY.
Joseph
J
Kennedy
Division of Disease Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Queens, NY.
Sharon K
SK
Greene
Division of Disease Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Queens, NY; Division of Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.
Robin R
RR
Hennessy
Division of Disease Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Queens, NY.
Jennifer B
JB
Rosen
Division of Disease Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Queens, NY.
Lisa
L
Trieu
Division of Disease Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Queens, NY.
Stephanie
S
Ngai
Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY.
Stephen S
SS
Morse
Division of Disease Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Queens, NY.
Don
D
Weiss
D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
demographic factors; enteric infection; epidemiology; infectious disease; public health