CHINESE JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY AND PARASITIC DISEASES ›› 2021, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (5): 666-673.doi: 10.12140/j.issn.1000-7423.2021.05.015

• ORIGINAL ARTICLES • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Analysis on endemic status of soil-transmitted nematode infection in China in 2019

ZHU Hui-hui(), HUANG Ji-lei, CHEN Ying-dan, ZHOU Chang-hai, ZHU Ting-jun, QIAN Men-bao, ZHANG Mi-zhen, LI Shi-zhu, ZHOU Xiao-nong*()   

  1. National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
  • Received:2021-04-02 Revised:2021-06-01 Online:2021-10-30 Published:2021-11-10
  • Contact: ZHOU Xiao-nong E-mail:zhuhh@nipd.chinacdc.cn;zhouxn1@chinacdc.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(81973108)

Abstract:

Objective To understand the endemic status and characteristics of soil-transmitted nematode infection in China in 2019 to provide data support for developing control strategies. Methods Survey was carried out in nationwide surveillance sites (counties) in 31 provinces/municipalities/autonomous regions in China in 2019. A unified sampling method was used in all surveillance sites: each site was divided into five areas geographically (east, west, south, north, and mid part), followed by selecting one administrative village from each area; 200 permanent residents older than 3 years were cluster sampled, resulting in 1 000 residents being surveyed in each surveillance site. Stool samples were collected from survey participants and examined microscopically using the modified Kato-Katz thick smear method (two slide-reading/sample) for parasite eggs, which were counted for estimating infection rate and infection intensity. Infection rates were analyzed using Chi-square test. In addition, soil surveys Ascaris eggs were conducted in 23 provinces/municipalities/autonomous regions, including Beijing, Fujian, and Gansu; one soil sample was collected from farmer’s field or vegetable garden from each of five households randomly selected from each village. From the soill samples, hook worm larvae were identified using 5% salt solution at 45 ℃, while Ascaris eggs were examined by floating method with sodium nitrate solution. A comparative analysis of the infection rates of overlapping surveillance sites in 2019 and 2018 was conducted. Results In total, 424 766 people from 414 nationwide surveillance sites were investigated in 2019, the overall infection rate of soil-transmitted nematodes was 1.40% (5 959/424 766), with the highest found in Sichuan (8.05%, 2 518/31 292), followed by Yunnan (5.30%, 885/16 693) and Chongqing (3.87%, 238/6 149). There was no significant difference between infection rate in males (1.37%, 2 842/207 188) and females(1.43%, 3 117/217 578) (χ 2 = 2.84, P > 0.05). The participant group aged ≥ 60 years had the highest infection rate, of 2.51% (2 722/108 260), followed by the 45-59 age group (1.19%, 1 237/104 218) and the 7-14 age group (1.12%, 657/58 556), with statistically significant differences among the age groups (χ2 = 1 351.00, P < 0.01). The infection rates of hookworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Trichuris trichiura were 0.84% (3 580/424 766), 0.36% (1 528/424 766) and 0.27% (1 126/424 766), respectively, with the majority were of light infection. In 2019, 2 056 soil samples were examined, and found the detection rate of Ascaris eggs and hookworm larvae was 5.79% (119/2 056) and 3.45% (71/2 056), respectively. In 2019, 77 surveillance sites in 25 provinces/municipalities/autonomous regions overlapped with the sites in 2018, where the infection rate was 1.43% in 2019, being compared with 1.42% in 2018, showing no statistically significant difference (χ2 = 0.01, P > 0.05). Conclusion The overall infection rate of soil-transmitted nematodes in China in 2019 was at a low level, but provinces with higher infection rate and transmission risk remained, thus continuing surveillance and control are urged.

Key words: Soil-transmitted nematode, Infection rate, Surveillance, Hookworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura

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