ABSTRACT
Ticks are the vectors of various pathogens, threatening human health and animal production across the globe. Here, for the first time we detected Ricketssia spp., Borrelia spp. and protozoan in ticks from Poyang Lake region in Jiangxi Province of eastern China. In 3 habitat categories and on 12 host species, 311 ticks from 11 species were collected. Haemaphysalis longicornis was the predominant species, accounting for 55.63%, followed by Rhipicephalus microplus, Haemaphysalis flava and Ixodes granulatus. Of the collected ticks, 7.07% were positive for tick-borne pathogens, and H. longicornis and H. flava were found to be co-infected with Ricketssia spp. and protozoan. H. flava was the most detected positive for tick-borne pathogens, whereas H. longicornis had the lowest infection rate, and the difference in infection rates between tick species was significant (χ²=61.24, P < 0.001). Furthermore, adult ticks demonstrated remarkably greater infection rate than immature ticks (χ²=10.12, P=0.018), meanwhile ticks on Erinaceidae showed significantly higher positivity than ticks collected on other host species (χ²=108.44, P < 0.001). Genetic fragment sequencing and analyses showed at least 4 pathogen species presence in ticks, namely Borrelia yangtzensis, Rickettsia slovaca or Rickettsia raoultii related genospecies, Babesia vogeli and Hepatozoon canis or Hepatozoon felis related genospecies. The finding indicates that the abundant ticks can carry diverse pathogens in Poyang Lake region, and pathogen infection is highly related to species, vertebrate hosts and life stages of ticks.
Subject(s)
Adult , Animals , Cats , Humans , Babesia , Borrelia , China , Ecosystem , Epidemiology , Felis , Hedgehogs , Ixodes , Lakes , Rhipicephalus , Rickettsia , Risk Factors , Ticks , VertebratesABSTRACT
Objective To explore the immune mechanism of negative results of immune tests of schistosomiasis japonica pa?tients. Methods Totally 142 schistosomiasis patients(positive stool examinations)of Poyang Lake region were tested by ELI?SA method,and the ROC curve was applied to determine the high and low response of the patients. The levels of cellular immu?nity and cytokines of high and low responders were compared. Results Totally eight schistosomiasis patients were found as low responders. Besides SWAP?IgA(t= -1.588,P > 0.1),the levels of isotype antibodies were significantly lower in the low re?sponders compared with those in the high responders(t = -14.517 to -2.866,all P 0.05)compared with those in the high responders. The differences of IFN?γ and IL?10 between the high and low responders were both not significant(t= -2.426 to 0.216,all P >0.05). Conclusions There is a significant difference between the high and low responders only in the levels of isotype antibod?ies. One of the reasons of low response in the immune tests is the much lower antibody level after the antigen?antibody compound is completely formulated.
ABSTRACT
Schistosomiasis is closely related to natural environmental factors. The changes of environmental factors such as temperature hydrology vegetation soil etc. all impact the scope and extent of schistosomiasis transmission. Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake and one of the major endemic areas with schistosomiasis in China. With global warming the imple-mentation of the Three Gorges Dam operation and the Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Planning the natural environment in Poyang Lake area has been and will continue to change especially the water environment and climate environment which are more closely related to the schistosomiasis transmission. These changes to some extent have affected and will continue to affect the prevalence and transmission of schistosomiasis. This article reviews the relationship between the natural environment and its changes and schistosomiasis transmission in the Poyang Lake region.
ABSTRACT
The endemic situation of schistosomiasis in Tangyin Village of Duchang County from 2000 to 2007 showed the infection rates of residents between 2003 and 2007 were all around 10%.In 2000.2002 and 2007,the infection rates of snails were 0.32%,O.45%and 0.38%,respectively,and the densities of infected snails were 0.016,0.004 No./0.1 m~2.and 0.004 No./0.1 m~2,respectively.It is suggested that the snail control and health education should be strengthened and the self-protection awareness of residents should improve for schistosomiasis control.
ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the uhrasenographical characters of liver and spleen of residents and their changes in endearic areas of schistosomiasis japonica in Poyang Lake region.Jiangxi Province and to explore the value of ultrasonography for assessment of the morbidity of the disease.Methods All permanent residents aged above 3 years old were examined by ultrasonography and Kato-Katz method.Results The schistosome positive rates of fecal examinations decreased obviously from 16.29%in 1995 to 8.54%in 2007(P0.05),with the rates of 8.82% and 20.33% in 1995 and 8.54% and 21.34% in 2007,respectively.The abnormal rate of portal vein diameter decreased significantly.from 32.47%in 1995 to 6.50% in 2007.The abnormal rate of liver parenehyma increased remarkably(P<0.01),from 34.85% to 51.83%.The changes of liver parenchyma Grade I showed a bidirectional trend,29.90% of them chased into Grade 0(normal image on ultrasonngraphy),and 34.02% changed into Grade 2 and above.The abnormality of various indices of uhrasonography examinations were related to age,occupation and schistesome infection status.Conclusions Ultrasonography can show the damages of liver and spleen of patients infected with Schistosoma japonicum directly.but it is necessary to study further on the sensitive indices that reflecting early pathological changes and the best combination of the indices for the assessment of schistosomiasis-related morbidity.
ABSTRACT
GPS was used in the snail survey of Nuanhuping marshland in Poyang Lake region and its application value was discussed. The results suggest that GPS which can measure the marshland area and survey area at real-time and draw electronic maps of snail situation rapidly, could realize the electronic and image management of the data from snail survey and provide more accurate information to the department in charge of schistosomiasis control.