[Study on risk assessing indicator system after schistosomiasis transmission interruption in Wuxi City].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a risk assessing indicator system after the transmission interruption of schistosomiasis in Wuxi City, so as to provide evidences for formulating strategies on schistosomiasis control and prevention. METHODS: A primary risk assessing indicator system was established based on the literature review. Alternative indicators were scored and screened to establish a final indicator system through two rounds of Delphy method and the related normalized weights and combined weights were also calculated. RESULTS: The risk assessing indicator system was established through two rounds of expert consultation including 3 first grade indicators and 15 second grade indicators. Among the first grade indicators, the normalized weights of natural environment, key populations and social environment were 0.370 6, 0.292 9 and 0.336 5, respectively. Among the second grade indicators, the migrant population accounted for the highest combined weight of 0.125 2 compared to domestic animal of 0.037 1. The authority degree among the first grade indicators was between 0.91 and 0.93, while the authority degree among the second grade indicators was between 0.79 and 0.92. CONCLUSIONS: The scientific and authoritative risk assessing indicator system after the transmission interruption of schistosomiasis is established, which provides the evidences for risk assessment on schistosomiasis transmission in Wuxi City.

[Evaluation on capability of parasitic disease control and prevention among professional and technical personnel in medical and health institutions in Wuxi City].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the capability of parasitic disease control and prevention among professional and technical personnel in medical and health institutions in Wuxi City, so as to provide the evidence for promoting relative capability building. METHODS: Forty-one professional and technical persons from 22 medical and health institutions received the evaluation through the theoretical knowledge exam and laboratory operation skill assessment. RESULTS: The average score of theoretical knowledge exam was (76.5±15.6) with the pass rate of 80.5% and excellent rate of 48.9%. The average score, pass rate and excellent rate for Plasmodium blood slide making were (7.3±1.5), 87.8% and 41.5% respectively, the average score, pass rate and excellent rate for Plasmodium blood slide reading were (14.0±7.2), 31.7% and 12.2% respectively; the average score, pass rate and excellent rate for helminthes microscope examination were (19.4±10.4), 24.4% and 0 respectively; the average score, pass rate and excellent rate for Oncomelania hupensis snail identification were (8.6±1.1), 95.1% and 73.2% respectively. The average scores of helminthes microscope examination and Oncomelania hupensis snail identification were higher in the participants with middle-level professional title or above than in the participants with primary level professional title (both P < 0.05). The average scores of theoretical knowledge exam, Plasmodium blood slide reading and helminthes microscope examination were higher in the participants from disease control and prevention institutions than in the staff who came from medical institutions (all P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The professional and technical personnel in medical and health institutions in Wuxi do better in theoretical knowledge, Plasmodium blood slide making and Oncomelania hupensis snail identification. However, the capability of parasite microscope examination is urgently needed to be improved in the future.

[Establishment of a monitoring database of historical Oncomelania hupensis environments at grass - root level for schistosomiasis prevention based on Google Earth].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a monitoring database of historical Oncomelania hupensis environments at grass-root level for schistosomiasis prevention based on Google Earth (GE), so as to improve the management efficiency of historical O. hupensis environments. METHODS: GE was labeled with the information about the historical O. hupensis environments through adding landmark, path and polygon. Meanwhile, POCO web album was used to storage the practice situation pictures of the environments, which could be imported into GE so that the environments could be monitored dynamically. RESULTS: There were 553 historical O. hupensis snail environments in Yangjian Town, Xishan District, Wuxi City and the accumulative area was 506 000 m2. Among these environments, 224 (40.5%) were Class IV environments, accounting for 40.5% of accumulative area. CONCLUSIONS: The monitoring database of historical O. hupensis environments based on GE at country level is established successfully and it can be used to manage the historical snail environments visually and monitor the changes dynamically.

[Survey on Toxoplasma gondii infection among key populations in Wuxi City].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection among key populations in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, so as to provide evidences for developing preventive and control interventions for T. gondii infection. METHODS: A questionnaire was designed to conduct face-to-face interviews to HIV/AIDS carriers/patients, tumor patients, pregnant women and pet breeders. The blood samples were collected to test anti-Toxoplasma IgM and IgG antibodies by using ELISA method. RESULTS: Totally 404 participants were investigated, and 38 were positive in testing T. gondii antibodies (9.4%), and among these, 37 (97.4%) were IgG positive and 1 (2.6%) was IgM positive. The multivariate logistic regression indicated that age, regularly contacting cats/dogs and being HIV positive were associated with the infection of T. gondii (OR=2.1, 2.6 and 2.3, all P < 0.05). Breeding pets, being HIV positive and being tumor patients were more likely to infect T. gondii than being pregnant (OR = 1.5, 8.1 and 2.8, all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The high infection rate of T. gondii is observed among key populations in Wuxi City, so that the effective measurements should be taken to enhance the intervention among key populations including immunocompromised people, pet breeders or people having bad dietary habits of eating raw food.