Objective  To investigate clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients with rhabdomyolysis syndrome (RM) in Hubei province in recent years for providing evidences for the prevention of the disease.

  Methods  We carried out a retrospective survey on RM cases in 9 grade A third-class hospitals in Hubei province from January 2013 to April 2017.

  Results  Totally 367 RM cases were diagnosed in the hospitals during the period, of which 220 were diagnosed in 2016 and 102 were related to the history of crayfish-eating. Among the cases diagnosed, the cases with the history of crayfish-eating mainly occurred in 2014 and 2016, and the cases diagnosed in other years were mainly with histories of strenuous exercise and animal bites. The clinical symptoms of the cases with the history of crayfish-eating were mainly myalgia and fatigue and most of the cases had a course of around 10 days and had a good prognosis. The diagnosed cases were mainly young and middle aged females and the incidents distributed mainly along the Yangtze river and showed an obvious seasonal variation. A total of 41 cases were reported by Hubei Province Foodborne Disease Surveillance System in 2016, accounting for only 40% (41/102) of all foodborne cases diagnosed in the 9 hospitals in 2016.

  Conclusion  The rhabdomyolysis syndrome incidents in Hubei province distribute along the Yangtze river and are of some epidemic features. The actual number of foodborne RM cases in Hubei province is greatly higher than that registered in the foodborne disease surveillance system, suggesting that the sensitivity of the surveillance system needs to be improved.