Retrospective investigation on endemic situation of schistosomiasis in Hubei Province / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the changing rules of schistosomiasis infection and Oncomelania hupensis snail situation in areas where schistosomiasis transmission was controlled or interrupted or transmission rebounded after the interruption. Meth-ods Daye City,Wuxue City and Jingshan County were selected and investigated retrospectively to collect the schistosomiasis epidemiological information 10 years before they reached the criteria of transmission controlled and the subsequent years until 2008. The database of retrospective investigation was established for analyzing the trends and rules of the changes of snail status and human infection status. Results In Daye City,there was no snail areas and schistosomiasis patients and cattle after reach-ing the criteria of transmission interrupted in 1987. The infection rate of residents were positively correlative with the infection rate of cattle and snail areas(r=0.865,0.843,P<0.01). In Wuxue City,the proportion of snail areas occupying the historic snail areas kept a steady from the transmission controlled to transmission interrupted,but it began to rebound to the highest level in the history(8.93%)after the transmission interrupted for 3 years. In Jingshan County,the infection rates of residents and cat-tle were all stable from 1%to 2%after the transmission controlled. The proportion of snail areas occupying the historic snail ar-eas was rebounded from 1.63% in 1985 to 21.50% in 2008,and the densities of living snails rebounded from 2005. Conclu-sions The infected snails could be the sensitive indicator of the rebound of snail situation and human infection. The elimination of schistosomiasis still depends on the control of snail areas,including strengthening the infected snail control.