On the epidemiological basis of elimination of Keshan disease / 中华地方病学杂志

ABSTRACT

With the huge advances in rural China since 1980s,rampant Keshan disease (KD)has been fading away,and therefore we set an ultimate goal at overall elimination.In recent years,the evaluation results showed that there were still some obstacles in achieving this goal.By explaining the pathogenesis and epidemic mechanism of KD and the factors regulating the fluctuation of the disease,as a kind of local lifestyle disease induced by poverty,the author think,it will be of very low possibility in breaking out again thanks to the long-term exchange of cereal commodities and current poverty relief program.And the next move is to revise the existing criteria for KD elimination and to maintain the state of elimination primarily through health education and social economic improvement in all affected areas.