Emerging Infectious Diseases (Oct 2007)

Epidemiology of Schistosomiasis in the People’s Republic of China, 2004

  • Xiao-Nong Zhou,
  • Jia-Gang Guo,
  • Xiao-Hua Wu,
  • Qing-Wu Jiang,
  • Jiang Zheng,
  • Hui Dang,
  • Xian-Hong Wang,
  • Jing Xu,
  • Hong-Qing Zhu,
  • Guan-Ling Wu,
  • Yue-Sheng Li,
  • Xing-Jian Xu,
  • Hong-Gen Chen,
  • Tian-Ping Wang,
  • Yin-Chang Zhu,
  • Dong-Chuan Qiu,
  • Xing-Qi Dong,
  • Gen-Ming Zhao,
  • Shao-Ji Zhang,
  • Nai-Qing Zhao,
  • Gang Xia,
  • Li-Ying Wang,
  • Shi-Qing Zhang,
  • Dan-Dan Lin,
  • Ming-Gang Chen,
  • Yang Hao

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1310.061423
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 10
pp. 1470 – 1476

Abstract

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Results from the third nationwide cluster sampling survey on the epidemiology of schistosomiasis in the People’s Republic of China, conducted by the Ministry of Health in 2004, are presented. A stratified cluster random sampling technique was used, and 239 villages were selected in 7 provinces where Schistosoma japonicum remains endemic. A total of 250,987 residents 6–65 years of age were included in the survey. Estimated prevalence rates in the provinces of Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui, Yunnan, Sichuan, and Jiangsu were 4.2%, 3.8%, 3.1%, 2.2%, 1.7%, 0.9%, and 0.3%, respectively. The highest prevalence rates were in the lake and marshland region (3.8%) and the lowest rates were in the plain region with waterway networks (0.06%). Extrapolation to all residents in schistosome-endemic areas indicated 726,112 infections. This indicates a reduction of 16.1% compared with a nationwide survey conducted in 1995. However, human infection rates increased by 3.9% in settings where transmission is ongoing.

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