Challenges and countermeasures of schistosomiasis control in Hunan Province in the new era / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

This paper describes the current epidemic characteristics and endemic status of schistosomiasis, analyzes the main challenges of schistosomiasis control and proposes the emphasis and interventions for future schistosomiasis control activities in Hunan Province, so as to provide insights into the elimination of schistosomiasis in Hunan Province.

Implications, spiritual characteristics and practical significance of Chinese schistosomiasis control culture / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

The culture of schistosomiasis control is specific in the history of Chinese culture. Broadly speaking, the culture of schistosomiasis control is a summary of specific social mood, social consciousness and material culture created by Chinese populations during the progress of schistosomiasis control since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Narrowly speaking, the culture of schistosomiasis control is the spiritual culture that is jointly created and nurtured by schistosomiasis control workers since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The spiritual features of Chinese schistosomiasis control culture are characterized by the patriotism and care about the people, the matter-to-fact attitude, the pioneering and enterprising spirit, and the spirit of sacrifice and dedication. The ultimate goal of the research on the culture of schistosomiasis control is to facilitate the achievement of the strategic goal of Healthy China 2030 as scheduled, accelerate the progress towards elimination of schistosomiasis, and to promote the sustainable development of schistosomiasis control in China.

In-depth interviews on late stage schistosomiasis patients about factors related to prevention and treatment in the rural areas / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore factors related to current prevention and treatment of Advanced cases on schistosomiasis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In-depth interviews were introduced to the qualitative study on 61 Advenced cases of schistosomiasis in Dongting Lake regions. Sampling was accidentally and judgmentally performed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Related factors on prevention and treatment of Advenced cases of schistosomiasis would include: higher degree of social support for patients (61/61), excessive dependence on the past pattern of schistosomiasis control, lack of the idea that one should be responsible for his/her own health, lack of knowledge about prevention and treatment of schistosomiasis (28/61), older age (57.40 +/- 10.80), lower education (4.70 years), less family income, lack of effective medical insurance system and efficient close-to-client system.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Active participation from patients, medical institutions and society was needed to control Late Stage Schistosomiasis. Health education campaign should be intensified to improve the health awareness for schistosomiasis among residents in the heavy endemic areas. Medical insurance system should be set up in epidemic areas, while public health and cure systems for important diseases should be intensified in rural areas. The ability of public health system to be responsive and the accessibility of residents to health service system should be improved in rural areas as well.</p>

The use of unsupervised classification of Landsat-5 TM images in analysing the types of vegetation in the areas of "breaking dikes or opening sluice for water store" / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To clarify the change of vegetation types and its relationship between the density of alive-snails in the areas of "breaking dikes or opening sluice for water store" in Jicheng.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Synthesized false color images of Jicheng before and after 1998 (1994 and 2003) were classified without supervision and results were compared. Vegetation types were identified on the spot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of snail habitats before 1998 were between 126 and 183 in Jicheng, whose vegetation types were mainly paddy, cotton and cabbage. NDVI of snail habitats in Jicheng after 1998 were between 152 and 193 whose vegetation types were mainly poplar forest, bulrush and grass. Areas of snail habitats increased from 64.64% to 66.47%. Snail habitats were mostly composed of mixed vegetation types and mono-typed vegetation was hardly found. According to the density of alive-snails orders from high to low were poplar forest and bulrush, poplar forest and grass, bulrush.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Vegetation types would not be identified by unsupervised classification only. Poplar forest, bulrush and grass were closedly related to the density of alive-snails.</p>

Schistosoma japonicum in the newly identified areas in Hunan province / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the major risk factors and characteristics of Schistosoma japonicum in the newly identified areas around the Dong Ting Lake.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Data was collected regarding the distribution of snails, prevalence of infection as well as the source of transmission in the newly identified areas in Hunan province from 1979 to 2003.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In all the newly identified sites, Schistosomiasis japonica patients appeared to be the first-seen evidence, some even under acute phase. The highest infection rate among residents had reached 87.1% in the newly identified villages. Most of the new endemic areas concentrated in the ditch and beach areas that close to cities and towns.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Evidence showed that snails had been transferred through boats and fishing nets to be disseminated. Data also revealed that the sources of transmission would include those local infected residents who had been infected in the old endemic areas and the newly imported domestic animals with infection.</p>

Application of "time series analysis" in the prediction of schistosomiasis prevalence in areas of "breaking dikes or opening sluice for waterstore" in Dongting Lake areas, China / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To provide the fittest model for forecasting schistosomiasis prevalence in Haokou village of "breaking dikes or opening sluice for waterstore" in Dongting Lake areas by comparing the results of Moving Average, Exponential Smoothing, Autoregressive Model and Autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA model) from 1990 to 2002.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Error sum of square of four statistical methods was compared and the fittest model was chosen.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Error sum of square of predicted schistosomiasis prevalence rates in Haokou village from 1994 to 2002 were 39.40, 39.86, 26.63, 22.54 respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ARIMA model seemed to be the fittest one in the prediction of schistosomiasis prevalence in Haokou village of "breaking dikes or opening sluice for waterstore" in Dongting Lake from 1990 to 2002.</p>