[Infection status of Toxoplasma gondii and its related knowledge and behavior among special population in Changzhou City].

Objective To investigate the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection and related knowledge and behavior among special population in Changzhou City, so as to provide the evidence for formulating effective measures of toxoplasmosis prevention. Methods The pregnant women and patients with neoplasia in Changzhou hospitals, and livestock and poultry breeding or processing workers were selected as the subjects of the study. Venous blood samples were collected from each participant for detecting IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii by ELISA. A questionnaire investigation on knowledge and behavior about T. gondii infection was conducted. Results Among the total 300 respondents investigated from March to May, 2015, the prevalence of T. gondii infection was 16.3% (49/300). Totally 52 respondents knew the knowledge about the prevention and control of T. gondii infection with an awareness rate of 17.3% (52/300). The proportion of participants who frequently contacted with cats/dogs (25.0%, 13/52) in the group who knew the knowledge about the prevention and control of T. gondii infection was lower than that of participants (50.8%, 126/248) in the group who did not know the knowledge about the prevention and control of T. gondii infection, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2 = 11.51, P < 0.05). The proportion of participants separating chopping boards for raw and cooked food (61.5%, 32/52) in the group who knew the knowledge about the prevention and control of T. gondii infection was statistically higher than that of the participants (9.3%, 23/248) in the group who did not know the knowledge about the prevention and control of T. gondii infection, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2 = 78.43, P < 0.001). There was a negative correlation between the awareness rate of the knowledge about the prevention and control of T. gondii infection and the infection rate of T. gondii. The infection rate of T. gondii (5.8%, 3/52) in the group who knew the knowledge about the prevention and control of T. gondii infection was lower than that (18.5%, 46/248) of the group who did not know the knowledge about the prevention and control of T. gondii infection, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2 = 5.14, P < 0.05). Conclusions The awareness rate of the knowledge about the prevention and control of T. gondii infection among special population in Changzhou City is low. The health education on the knowledge of the prevention and control of toxoplasmosis should be strengthened, in order to improve the awareness of personal hygiene and change the unhealthy lifestyles and dietary habits.

[Oncomelania hupensis status monitoring in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province from 2013 to 2016].

Objective To analyze the Oncomelania hupensis snail distribution and the changes of snail situation in Changzhou City from 2013 to 2016, so as to provide the evidence for formulating the schistosomiasis prevention and control interventions. Methods The data of snail monitoring in Changzhou City from 2013 to 2016 were collected and statistically analyzed. Results The total area with snails was 40.17 hm2 and the newly discovered area was 30.63 hm2 in Changzhou City from 2013 to 2016. In the four years, 3 454 snails were dissected, and no schistosome infected snails were found. There were totally 51 spots with snails, and the areas with snails of different types of marshland, inland and mountain were 12.13 (30.19%), 25.54 hm2 (63.57%) and 2.51 hm2 (6.24%), respectively. In the newly discovered snail environment, the areas of types of marshland and inland were 8.00 hm2 (26.12%) and 22.63 hm2 (73.88%), respectively. The main causes for snail existence were external input and adjacent diffusion. In the past four years, the total snail control area with molluscicides was 71.74 hm2, the consolidated snail control area with molluscicides was 155.15 hm2, and the total environmental modification areas in the current snail spots and historic snail spots were 15.90 hm2 and 11.30 hm2 respectively. Conclusion The diffusion of snails in inland rivers is the key of the newly discovered snail areas in Changzhou City in recent years, and the snail monitoring and control measures should be strengthened in the future.