Schistosomiasis in a migrating population in the lake region of China and its potential impact on control operation

• Published in: Acta tropica 2015-05, Vol.145, p.88-92
• Main Authors: Cao, Chun-li, Bao, Zi-ping, Li, Shi-zhu, Wei, Wang-yuan, Yi, Ping, Yu, Qing, Zhu, Hong-qing, Xu, Jing, Guo, Jia-gang, Feng, Zheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Animals; Child; China; China - epidemiology; Disease Management; Female; Humans; Impact factor; Knowledge of schistosomiasis; Male; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; Migrant population; Prevalence; Schistosoma japonicum - drug effects; Schistosomiasis japonica; Schistosomiasis japonica - drug therapy; Schistosomiasis japonica - epidemiology; Schistosomiasis japonica - prevention & control; Schistosomicides - therapeutic use; Snails - parasitology; Transients and Migrants - statistics & numerical data; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2015.02.009

[Display omitted] •Schistosomiasis in migrating population is a growing concern in China.•Schistosomiasis prevalence in migrants and permanent residents was investigated.•Significantly higher prevalence in immigrants than in permanent residents.•Migrants' knowledge of disease significantly less than permanent residents.•Surveillance and intervention for migrants should be included in control program. Coverage of migrating people in schistosomiasis control program is a growing concern in China. Schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma japonicum is still one of the major infectious diseases of public health importance in China though tremendous efforts have been made to control the transmission over the past decades. Along with the rapid social-economic development, migrant population has been remarkably increasing across the country. The infected migrants may introduce a new souse of infection to endemic areas or the areas where the transmission had been controlled or interrupted but the intermediate host Oncomelania snail is still present. Preliminary studies for surveillance on schistosomiasis prevalence in migrants were reported, but there is little basic information provided. We carried out an investigation on the prevalence in immigrants, emigrants and permanent residents in three villages of Hunan province located in the main endemic area of lake region, and analyzed the potential impact of migration on control practice. In the study villages, the migrant population accounts for 53.6% of the total. Schistosoma infection was detected by modified Kato-Katz method and miracidium hatching test. Questionnaire survey was conducted comprising knowledge of disease and its transmission, water contact, personal protective measures, and whether examined and treated after water contact. The survey indicated that the migrants and permanent residents had similar life style, and the majority of them experienced water contact in agricultural work or routine life activities. However, the infection rate in immigrants was significantly higher than that in permanent residents. It was also found that the migrants had significantly less knowledge about the disease than the permanent residents, and took no personal protective measures. This is due to that the control program could not cover the migrants when they were absent at the time the program being implemented. The present study suggested that the surveillance and intervention for migrants, immigrants in particular, shou