Epidemiological characteristics of visceral leishmaniasis in China in 2024

doi:10.12140/j.issn.1000-7423.2025.06.002

Abstract

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of visceral leishmaniasis in China in 2024， so as to provide insights into formulation of visceral leishmaniasis control measures and strategies. Methods Epidemiological data of visceral leishmaniasis cases in China in 2024 were collected from National Notifiable Diseases Reporting Information System operated by Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. After excluding suspected cases, duplicates and cutaneous leishmaniasis cases, all data were input into Microsoft Excel 2016, and the epidemiological characteristics of visceral leishmaniasis cases were analyzed using at descriptive epidemiological method. Results A total of 278 visceral leishmaniasis cases were reported in 120 counties across 14 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China in 2024, with a decrease of 7.02% in relative to in 2023 (299 cases), and including 232 local cases reported in 77 endemic counties, and 46 imported cases in nonendemic counties. There were 225 cases with anthropozoonotic (mountain-type zoonotic) visceral leishmaniasis (80.93%), 5 cases with euzoonotic (desert-type zoonotic) visceral leishmaniasis, and 2 cases with anthroponotic visceral leishmaniasis, and these reported cases were predominantly distributed in three provinces of Shanxi (108 cases), Henan (53 cases) and Shaanxi (32 cases), accounting for 69.42% (193/278) of total cases in China. In 77 endemic counties, Pingding County (18 cases), Suburb District (11 cases) of Yangquan City in Shanxi Province, Linzhou City (13 cases) and Dengfeng City (11 cases) of Henan Province and Jingxing County (12 cases) of Hebei Province had relatively high counts of incident cases, accounting for 23.38% (65/278) of total cases in China. The counties with recurrent visceral leishmaniasis were mainly concentrated in Shanxi Province (Yuci District, Zuoquan County, Taigu District, Zezhou District, Wenxi county and Shangdang District), Henan Province (Shaanzhou District, Lushi County, Yindu District, Yiyang County and Ruzhou City), Hebei Province (Yuanshi County, Xiongxian County and Xiahuayuan District), Shaanxi Province (Chengcheng County and Mizhi County) and Beijing City (Fangshan District), with a total of 26 local cases reported. The incidence of visceral leishmaniasis peeked in August, and there were 191 male cases and 87 femles cases, respectively. The reported visceral leishmaniasis cases were found at ages of 45 to 74 years, and farmers were the predominant occupation (53.96%, 150/278). Conclusion The prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis is low in China; however, the endemic areas of mountain-type zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis is gradually expanding. Intensified surveillance and management of mountain-type zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis is recommended.

Key words: Visceral leishmaniasis, Epidemic status, Mountain-type zoonotic, Distribution, China

CLC Number:

R531.6

LI Yuanyuan, ZHOU Zhengbin, LI Zhongqiu, YANG Limin, LIU Qin, ZHANG Yi, CHEN Junhu, LI Shizhu. Epidemiological characteristics of visceral leishmaniasis in China in 2024[J]. CHINESE JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY AND PARASITIC DISEASES, 2025, 43(6): 749-756.

Figures/Tables 5

Table 1

Epidemic types and regional distribution of visceral leishmaniasis cases in endemic foci in China in 2024

流行类型 Types of endemic areas	省（自治区、直辖市） Province (Autonomous Region, Municipality)	流行县（市、区）（病例数） Endemic counties (cities, district) （No. case）
AVL	新疆 Xinjiang	沙雅县 Shaya County (1), 英吉沙县 Yengisar County (1)
DT-ZVL	新疆 Xinjiang	伽师县 Jiashi County (1), 精河县 Jinghe County (1), 库尔勒市 Korla City (1)，墨玉县 Moyu County (1), 托克逊县 Toksun County (1)
MT-ZVL	甘肃 Gansu	宕昌县 Dangchang County (8), 武都区 Wudu District (3), 礼县 Lixian County (2), 文县 Wen County (2), 舟曲县 Zhouqu County (1)
	山西 Shanxi	平定县 Pingding County (18), 阳泉市郊区 Suburb District of Yangquan (11), 阳泉市矿区 Mining District of Yangquan (9), 浮山县 Fushan County (8), 乡宁县 Xiangning County (8), 盂县 Yuxian County (5), 阳泉市城区 Urban District of Yangquan (4), 襄垣县 Xiangyuan County (4), 尧都区 Yaodu District (4), 高平市 Gaoping City (3), 榆次区 Yuci District (3), 泽州县 Zezhou County (2), 昔阳县 Xiyang County (2), 左权县 Zuoquan County (2), 襄汾县 Xiangfen County (2), 翼城县 Yicheng County (2), 河津市 Hejin City (2), 潞城区 Lucheng District (2), 潞州区 Luzhou District (2), 沁县 Qinxian County (2), 武乡县 Wuxiang County (2), 太古区 Taigu District (1), 大宁县 Daning County (1), 曲沃县 Quwo County (1), 文水县 Wenshui County (1), 绛县 Jiangxian County (1), 闻喜县 Wenxi County (1), 上党区 Shangdang District (1), 屯留区 Tunliu District (1)
	河南 Henan	林州市 Linzhou City (13), 登封市 Dengfeng City (11), 新密市 Xinmi City (5), 新安县 Xin’an County (5), 巩义市 Gongyi City (4), 禹州市 Yuzhou City (3), 陕州区 Shanzhou District (3), 龙安区 Long’an District (2), 殷都区 Yindou District (1), 偃师区 Yanshi District (1), 宜阳县 Yiyang County (1), 汝州市 Ruzhou City (1), 卢氏县 Lushi County (1), 荥阳市 Xingyang City (1)
	河北 Hebei	井陉县 Jingxing County (12), 曲阳县 Quyang County (4), 井陉矿区 Mining District of Jingxing (2), 涉县 Shexian County (1), 鹿泉区 Luquan District (1), 元氏县 Yuanshi County (1), 信都区 Xindu District (1), 雄县 Xiongxian County (1)，下花园区 Xiahuayuan District (1)
	陕西 Shaanxi	华州区 Huazhou District (6), 韩城市 Hancheng City (6), 澄城县 Chengcheng County (3), 延川县 Yanchuan County (2), 延长县 Yanchang County (2), 宝塔区 Baota District (1), 米脂县 Mizhi County (1), 绥德县 Suide County (1)
	四川 Sichuan	黑水县 Heishui County (1), 九寨沟县 Jiuzhaigou County (1), 理县 Lixian County (1)
	北京 Beijing	房山区 Fangshan District (2), 昌平区 Changping District (1)

Table 1

Table 2

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Table 3

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主要流行县 Major endemic county	流行类型 Endemic type	病例数 No. case	人口数^a Population^a	发病率/10 000^-1 Incidence rate/10 000^-1
山西阳泉市平定县 Pingding County of Yangquan, Shanxi	MT-ZVL	18	300 448	0.60
河南省林州市 Linzhou City, Henan	MT-ZVL	13	925 300	0.14
河北省井陉县 Jingxing County, Hebei	MT-ZVL	12	250 823	0.48
山西阳泉市郊区 Urban District of Yangquan, Shanxi	MT-ZVL	11	274 541	0.40
河南省登封市 Dengfeng City, Henan	MT-ZVL	11	728 700	0.15

特征 Features	流行区 Endemic area								非流行区 Non-endemic area		合计 Total
	AVL		DT-ZVL		MT-ZVL		小计 Subtotal		非流行区 Non-endemic area		合计 Total
	病例数 No. case	占比/%proportion/%	病例数 No. case	占比/%proportion/%	病例数 No. case	占比/%proportion/%	病例数 No. case	占比/%proportion/%	病例数 No. case	占比/%proportion/%	病例数 No. case	占比/%proportion/%
职业 Occupation
婴幼儿 Infants and young children	0	0	0	0	38	16.89	38	16.39	2	4.35	40	14.39
学生 Students	0	0	1	1/5	8	3.56	9	3.89	1	2.17	10	3.58
农民 Peasants	2	2/2	2	2/5	124	55.11	128	55.17	22	47.83	150	53.96
工人 Workers	0	0	0	0	10	4.44	10	4.31	1	2.17	11	3.96
离退人员 Retired personnel	0	0	0	0	11	4.89	11	4.74	3	6.52	14	5.04
家务及待业 Housework and unemployment	0	0	1	1/5	22	9.78	23	9.91	7	15.22	30	10.79
商务服务 Business services	0	0	0	0	1	0.44	1	0.43	2	4.35	3	1.08
其他 Others	0	0	1	1/5	11	4.89	12	5.17	8	17.39	20	7.19
性别 Gender
男 Male	2	2/2	5	5/5	147	65.33	154	66.38	37	80.43	191	68.71
女 Female	0	0	0	0	78	34.67	78	33.62	9	19.57	87	31.29
总计 Total	2	2/2	5	5/5	225	100	232	100	46	100	278	100