Disease Prevention Effect of Improvement of Latrines in Rural Areas in Hunan Province / 环境与健康杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effect of non-hazard treatment of feces on control of intestinal infectious diseases and parasitosis. Methods During Nov, 2003-May, 2004, we selected 6 counties as observational points by the character of geographical position and the types of non-hazard treatment in Hunan province. The number of fecal coliform and the sedimentation rate of parasite ova were measured, the methods of questionnaire and retrospective study were used and the prevalance rate of intestinal infectious diseases, the incident rate of infectious diarrhea and infectious rate of parasite were analyzed. Results Among three types of non-hazard treatment, the eligibility rates of fecal coliform were 95.0%, 93.5%and 91.7% respectively,and the sedimentation rates of parasite ova were 90.0%, 90.3% and 87.5% respectively. Compared with the villages where the latrines had not been improved, the infectious rates of parasite decreased by 67.0%,the prevalance rate of intestinal infectious diseases decreased by 58.3%, and the incidence rates of infectious diarrhea decreased by 56.3% in villages where the latrines had been improved. Conclusion Non-hazard treatment of feces will play an important role in preventing of intestinal infectious diseases, infectious diarrhea and parasitosis.