Table of Content

30 December 2014, Volume 32 Issue 6

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Malaria Situation in the People’s Republic of China in 2013

ZHANG Li，FENG Jun，XIA Zhi-gui*

2014, 32(6):  1-407-413. 

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Objective  To analyze the malaria situation and epidemic characteristics in 2013 in China， and provide evidence for implementing the National Malaria Elimination Program（NMEP）. 　Methods　 The epidemiological data of malaria cases reported through the annual malaria statistics reporting system in 2013 were collected， and analyzed by using Microsoft Excel 2010 and ArcGIS 10.0.  Results 　A total of 4 128 malaria cases were reported from 605 counties of 31 Provinces/Municipalities/Autonomous Regions（P/M/A） in 2013， representing 51.9% increase compared with 2 718 cases in 2012， and the annual incidence was 0.030 5/10 000. The cases were mainly reported from Guangxi（30.3%， 1 251/4 128）， Yunnan（14.0%， 576/4 128）， Jiangsu（8.3%， 341/4 128）， Sichuan（5.8%， 238/4 128）， and Zhejiang（5.0%， 208/4 128）. The laboratory confirmed cases took 99.0%（4 087/4 128） while the other 1.0%（41/4 128） were clinically diagnosed. Among the laboratory confirmed cases， 22.8%（9 30/4 087） were vivax malaria cases， 71.2%（2 908/4 087） were falciparum malaria cases， 1.2%（51/4 087） were quartan malaria cases， 3.3%（133/4 087） were ovale malaria cases， and 1.6%（65/4 087） were mixed infection cases. A total of 48（1.2%， 48/4 128） indigenous cases were reported from 12 counties in 3 provinces including 10 counties of Yunnan， 1 county of Tibet， and 1 county of Anhui. The indigenous falciparum malaria cases were reported in Cangyuan（4）， Ruili（1）， and Yingjiang（1） of Yunnan Province. The incidence of indigenous cases between 1/10 000 and 10/10 000 was found only in Motuo County of Tibet. Out of the 4 128 malaria cases， a proportion of 97.9%（4 042/4 128） were reported as the abroad-imported cases who distributed in 30 provinces， and the remaining 0.9%（38/4 128） were domestically-mobile cases reported from 9 provinces. Totally 156（37.8%， 156/4 128） severe cases were reported from 16 provinces and 23（0.6%， 23/4 128） malaria deaths were from 14 provinces. The monitoring and evaluation result of “1-3-7” indicators demonstrated that the proportion of cases reported within 1 day and investigated within 3 days after diagnosis was 100.0% and 96.1%， respectively， and the number of malaria foci disposed within 7 days were 1 678.  Conclusion  NMEP have yielded remarkable achievements in 2013， while the abroad-imported cases have increased significantly. The border areas of Yunnan and Motuo County of Tibet are still the key areas for malaria elimination in China. At the same time， domestically-mobile cases should be further managed.

Risk Assessment for Malaria Elimination in P. R. China

ZHOU Xiao-nong1，ZHANG Shao-sen1，XU Jun-fang1，2，XIA Zhi-gui1，WANG Ru-bo1，QIAN Ying-jun1，ZHOU Shui-sen1，YANG Wei-zhong3

2014, 32(6):  2-414-418. 

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Objective  To identify the risk area in China during the malaria elimination process， and provide the evidence for promotion of the national malaria elimination programme and implementation of elimination strategy.  Methods  Data collection was conducted in 24 endemic provinces in 2010， including data of transmission capacity， potential risk of malaria transmission and the capacity of health professional team at county level. Quantitative assessment of the malaria transmission risk as well as the capacity of health facilities were conducted based on the calculation of malaria transmission risk index （MTI） and health facilities capacity index （CI）. ArcGIS 10.0 was used to develop the risk map based on the outcome of quantitative assessment.  Results  The data of transmission capacity， potential risk of transmission and the capacity of health professional team were collected from 2 147 counties in 24 provinces. Based on MTI and CI calculated for each county， statistic results showed that about 40% of the counties were under the average level of both MTI and CI. The relationship among potential risk of transmission， the capacity of health professional team and malaria incidence were analyzed in three dimensions， and four types were categorized among 2 147 counties. Type Ⅰ（super-high risk area） counties （20） distributed in Yunnan （9）， Guangxi （5）， Henan （1）， Hunan （1）， Hebei （1）， Sichuan （1）， Chongqing （1）， and Tibet （1）. 17 counties were classified into type Ⅱ（high risk area） area， distributed in Yunnan （3）， Guangxi （2）， Guizhou （2）， Shaanxi （2）， Guangdong （1）， Jiangxi （1）， Hubei（1）， Sichuan （1）， Gansu （1）， Hebei （1）， Fujian （1） and Tibet （1）. A total of 170 type Ⅲ （moderate risk area） counties distributed in 19 provinces including Yunnan （15）， Guizhou （14）， Hebei （14）， Sichuan （13）， Shanxi（10）， Guangxi （9）， Hunan （9）， Anhui （9）， Jiangsu （9）， Shaanxi （9）， Shandong （9）， Chongqing （8）， Gansu （8）， Jiangxi （7）， Henan （7）， Fujian （6）， Guangdong （5）， Hubei （5）， and Zhejiang （4）. 1 940 type Ⅳ （low risk area） counties distributed in 24 provinces.  Conclusion  The distribution of four types of risk area for malaria elimination is identified in China.

Analysis of Malaria Epidemiological Characteristics in Henan Province from 2005 to 2013

LIU Ying, ZHOU Rui-min, QIAN Dan, YANG Cheng-yun, ZHANG Hong-wei*

2014, 32(6):  3-419-422. 

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Objective  To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of malaria in Henan Province， and provide the basis for adjusting and formulating measures of malaria elimination timely.  Methods  The data of malaria cases during 2005 and 2013 in Henan Province was collected and analyzed using Microsoft Office Excel 2003 and SPSS14.0.  Results  Henan Province reported 17 803 malaria cases in 2005-2013, annual incidence was 0.2/100 000 to 5.2/100 000 with an average of 2.0/100 000. The cases were mainly distributed in Shangqiu（9 079）， Nanyang（4 923）， Xinyang（1 449）， Zhumadian （653）， and Zhoukou （564）， with more young male adults. The highest-risk population was farmers. More cases concentrated in August and September before 2010， but no obvious seasonal peak were seen after 2011. Vivax malaria  occupied 95.4%（16 331/17 126）before 2010， but falciparum malaria was the major one after 2011. The laboratory confirmed cases during 2005-2013 took 54.6%. The median interval from symptom appearance to diagnosis was 4 d， and there was a significant difference among the years（χ²=437.2， P<0.01）. The number of imported cases increased year by year， 26 cases in 2008 increased 146 cases in 2011. The reported malaria cases were imported cases during 2012 to 2013, of which 79.6% returned from the Africa， and 10.0% were from the Southeast Asia.  Conclusion  Malaria is still an important part of public health in Henan Province， and appropriate control measures and effective tools should be strengthened for eliminating the disease.

The Ratio of Treg/Th17 Cells from Mice Infected with Plasmodium yoelii in the Early Stage of Infection

CHEN Guang1 *，LIU Lei1，BI Sheng2，LUO Lan2，WANG Fang-fang1，CAI Lian-shun1，SU Ju-xiang1，DAI Yue1

2014, 32(6):  4-425-429. 

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Objective  To investigate the change of Treg/Th17 cell ratio in mice infected with Plasmodium yoelii 17XL in the early stage of infection.  Methods  Forty 6-8 week-old female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into infection group and Treg blockade group. All the mice were infected by intraperitoneal injection with 1×10⁶ P. yoelii 17XL-parasitized erythrocytes. Mice in Treg blockade group were intraperitoneally injected with 1 mg CD25 mAb before infection and on day 1 post-infection， respectively. Three healthy mice served as control. Tail vein blood samples were collected in two groups each with 10 mice during day 1-7 post-infection. The parasitemia was monitored daily by examining Giemsa-stained thin film. The survival rate of infected mice was calculated.  Before infection, on day 3 and 5 post-infection， the spleen was aseptically removed from each mouse in infection group （n=3） and Treg blockade group （n=3）， and splenocyte suspensions were prepared. The proportion of Treg and Th17 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The ratio of Treg/Th17 cells was calculated and the relative analysis of the percentage of Treg and Th17 cells was conducted.  Results  Parasitemia appeared on day 2 post-infection in infection group. On day 5， the infection rate of P. yoelii in erythrocytes increased to （49.8±4.7）% with a survival rate of 60.0%. All mice died on day 6 post-infection. In Treg blockade group， P. yoelii 17XL-parasitized erythrocytes appeared on day 2 post-infection; the parasitemia was（10.0±3.5）% on day 5， and increased rapidly to 60.0% on day 7; all mice died on day 8. The percentages of Treg and Th17 cells reached（11.1±1.3）% and （16.7±3.3） % respectively on day 3 post-infection in infection group， and increased to（26.1±4.5）% and （19.6±2.6） % on day 5， considerably higher than that of the control（P＜0.01）. The ratio of Treg/Th17 cells was 0.7±0.1， 1.3±0.4 on day 3 and 5 post-infection in infection group， respectively， which was much lower than that of normal control （2.1±0.5）（P＜0.01， P＜0.05）. On day 3 and 5 post-infection， the percentages of Treg cells in CD4+ T cells was（2.4±1.3）% and （4.3±2.9）%， respectively, and that of Th17 cells reached （26.1±2.2）% and （6.5±2.1）% in Treg blockade group. The ratio of Treg/Th17 cells in Treg blockade group was 0.1±0.1 and 0.7±0.4， respectively， which was considerably lower than that of the control（3.6±0.4）（P＜0.01）. The proportion of Treg cells in CD4+ T cells was positively correlated with that of Th17 cells（r=0.8166， P＜0.01）.  Conclusion  The ratio of Treg/Th17 cells significantly decreases in the early stage of P. yoelii 17XL infection.

Cloning and Expression of Toxoplasma gondii Autophagy-related Protein 3 Gene and Preparation of Its Polyclonal Antibody

HUA Qian-qian1，LI Xiang-zhi2，WAN Yu-jing2，CHEN Di3，ZHAO Xu-han-hui3，JIANG Kai3，HU Xin4，PAN Chang-wang2，TAN Feng2 *

2014, 32(6):  5-432-436. 

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Objective  To clone and express autophagy-related protein 3 （TgAtg3） gene of Toxoplasma gondii, and obtain the specific polyclonal antibody against TgAtg3.  Methods  TgAtg3 cDNA was inserted into prokaryotic expression vector pET28a. After identification, the constructed plasmid pET28a-TgAtg3 was transformed into E. coli Rosetta cells, and induced by special induction medium for expression of the protein. The recombinant protein was purified via Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Western blotting assay was performed with anti-His tag mouse monoclonal antibody as the primary antibody. Rabbits were immunized with 125 μg purified TgAtg recombinant protein. Each rabbit received 4 immunizations at 2-week intervals with the same dose of antigen. The specific anti-TgAtg3 polyclonal antibody was obtained, and analyzed by Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence assay （IFA）.  Results  pET28a-TgAtg3 plasmid was identified by restriction enzyme digestion, PCR amplification and sequencing. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting analysis showed that the recombinant TgAtg3 protein （about M_r 44 000） was expressed in E. coli Rosetta cells. TgAtg3 protein from tachyzoite lysates was recognized by the specific anti-TgAtg3 polyclonal antibody. IFA assay determined that the specific polyclonal antibody bound to TgAtg3 protein from the cytoplasm of tachyzoites.  Conclusion  The obtained soluble polyclonal antibody against TgAtg3 can specifically react to the endogenous TgAtg3 protein.

Dynamic Changes of Sciatic Nerve Conduction Velocity in Rats Infected with Toxoplasma gondii

ZHOU Yong-hua1 *，YANG Jun-feng2，XU Yong-liang1，YIN Yu-han2，ZHANG Ying1，GU Xiao-lin2，YANG Jing1

2014, 32(6):  6-437-440. 

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Objective  To observe the dynamic changes of sciatic nerve conduction velocity of Toxoplasma gondii-infected rats at different time points.  Methods  Twenty SD rats were randomly divided into control group and Toxoplasma gondii infection group. Rats in T. gondii infection group were intraperitoneal injected with 4×10⁷ T. gondii tachyzoites， while those in control group were given equivalent normal saline. Motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities（MNCV， SNCV） in sciatic nerve were measured by Medtronic Keypoint4 Workstation electromyography at pre-infection， and 2， 4， 8， 12 months post-infection.  Results  Within two months after infection， there was no difference in SNCV and MNCV between control group and infection group（P＞0.05）. From 4 months after T. gondii injection， infected rats began to show the slowness of SNCV and MNCV， which progressed with the course of infection. At 4， 8， and 12 months after infection， SNCV and MNCV of infection group were（35.26±3.02）and （25.94±3.20）　m/s，　（33.57±2.27） and （22.75±2.31）　m/s， and （32.38±2.38）　and （22.03±2.08）　m/s， respectively. Compared with control group， SNCV and MNCV of infection group reduced by （7.47±2.11）% and （12.57±1.89）%， （8.92±2.64）% and （13.72±2.65）%， and（12.18±1.94）% and （15.46±2.37）%， respectively（P＜0.05）.  Conclusion  From 4 months after infection， Toxoplasma gondii-infected rats show a slowness of motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities in sciatic nerve.

Current Prevalence of Clonorchis sinensis Infection in Jiangmen，Guangdong Province

ZHENG Nan-cai1，2 *，LIU Ying-hang1，2，LIANG Bai-nian1，XU Jian-feng1，FANG Yue-yi3，YANG Yang4，6，LIANG Song5，6

2014, 32(6):  7-441-445. 

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Objective  To investigate the prevalence of clonorchiasis in Jiangmen City.  Methods  From May to December 2011， each town was randomly chosen from east， south， west， north and central area of 7 cities/districts of Jiangmen City. Four or five villages were randomly selected from each town. In each village， the residents above 3-year-old in 10% randomly sampled families were treated as research objects. Total of 14 000 fecal boxes were issued and 12 661 ones back. Eggs in stool were examined by modified Kato-Katz thick smear method（three slides per specimen）.  Results  A total of 1 316 clonorchiasis cases were found from 12 661 pepople in 140 villages with a prevalence of 10.39% （1 316/12 661）. The average egg density was 98.3 eggs per gram（EPG） feces. Among 7 cities/districts， the prevalence in Pengjiang District（26.68%， 402/1 507） was the highest， and that of Taishan City（0.93%， 19/2 049） was the lowest. The egg density in Heshan City was the highest （225.4 EPG） and the lowest one was found in Taishan City （5.13 EPG）. The prevalence was negatively related with the distance to major rivers（r=-0.61，P<0.01）. The prevalence and the egg density in males and females was 13.20% （807/6 112） and 80.9 EPG， and 7.77% （509/6 549） and 39.4 EPG， respectively. The prevalence and intensity of infection increased obviously in the groups of above 20-year-old. The people with a higher prevalence was the group of 60-69 year-old， and the people above 70 years showed heavier infection（153.8 EPG）. Light， moderate and heavy infection occupied 99.91%， 0.09%， and 0.  Conclusion  Clonorchiasis is endemic in seven districts of Jiangmen City with different epidemic degrees. There are significant differences in the prevalence and intensity of infection among different areas. The villages with higher prevalence distribute along the middle and lower sections of the two major rivers.

Analysis on Parasitic Infection of Clinical Samples from Hospitals in  Shanghai during 2011-2013

CHEN Shao-hong，ZHANG Yong-nian，LI Hao，CAI Yu-chun，CHEN Jia-xu*

2014, 32(6):  8-446-451. 

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Objective  To analyze the results of parasitic pathogen detection on clinical samples from Shanghai hospitals during 2011-2013. Methods  Samples of serum， stool， sputum， body fluid and biopsy were collected from hospitals. The etiological， serological and molecular biology methods were used to detect parasitic infection cases.  Results  During 2011-2013, a total of 16 151 clinical samples were collected. 855 parasitic infection were found from 5 939 samples by pathogen detection, belonging to 32 species, with a detection rate of 14.4%. The positive rate of Blastocystis hominis and Entamoeba histolytica was 8.3%（494/5 939） and 3.1%（186/5 939）， respectively. The rate of intestinal protozoa infection in under 20-year-old age group was higher than other age groups （P<0.05）. No significant difference was found between males and females （P>0.05）. Totally 10 212 serum samples were examined, the total antibody-positive rate was 7.1%（730/10 212）. In the 730 positive samples, 173 (23.7%), 143（19.6%), 139（19.0%), 132（18.1%), and 128（17.5%) showed positive for the antibodies against Cysticercus cellulosae， Schistosoma japonicum， Paragonimus westermani， Toxoplasma gondii and Sparganum mansoni, respectively. The main source regions of protozoal infection were Shanghai（269 cases）， Jiangsu（142 cases）， Anhui（106 cases） and Zhejiang（82 cases）. 89 cases were worm infection, the main source were Zhejiang（24 cases）， Shanghai（18 cases）， Jiangxi（11 cases）.  Conclusion  Among the samples from hospitals, the major intestinal protozoans are Blastocystis hominis and Entamoeba histolytica, and the sero-positive cases are mainly Cysticercus cellulosae and Schistosoma japonicum infection.

Detection of Angiostrongylus cantonensis Larvae with a High Resolution Melt PCR Assay

KE Yan-kun1，HUANG Yu1，GE Xiu-qing1 *，PENG Mei-xian1，WANG Qing1，HUANG Li-ren1，LUO Guo-qiang1，ZHONG Lei-xiang1，KAN Shi-fu1，ZHANG Yuan-xin1，ZHAI Jian-xin2

2014, 32(6):  9-452-454. 

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Objective  To develop a detection method of the third-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus cantonensis by real-time PCR and high-resolution melt curve analysis. 　Methods　 A pair of specific primers was designed based on the internal transcribed spacer 1 （ITS1） region of the nuclear ribosomal DNA of A. cantonensis. The third-stage larvae of A. cantonensis were detected by real-time PCR and high-resolution melt curve analysis. The specificity of the method was analyzed by testing DNAs of A. cantonensis, Clonorchis sinensis, and Gnathostoma spinigerum. The genomic DNA were extracted from 1 to 10 third-stage larvae of A. cantonensis, respectively, and used to identify the sensitivity of the method. 　Results　 This method could specifically detect A. cantonensis and the detection limit reached to one larva. No amplification curve and melt curve were found in C. sinensis and G. spinigerum.　　Conclusion　 Real-time PCR and high-resolution melt curve analysis show good specificity and sensitivity for detecting the third-stage larvae of A. cantonensis.

Investigation on the Species Distribution and Infection Status of Host Snails of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Shanghai

GUO Yun-hai，LV Shan，GU Wen-biao，LIU He-xiang，WU Ying，ZHANG Yi*

2014, 32(6):  10-455-458. 

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Objective  To investigate the species distribution and infection status of host snails of Angiostongylus cantonensis in Shanghai.  Methods  From August 2012 to October 2014， 10 districts or counties were selected for this investigation in Shanghai， including Jiading， Qingpu， Putuo， Baoshan， Yangpu， Minhang， Songjiang， Jinshan， Chongming， and Pudong. All of the snails were examined by lung-microscopy and tissue homogenate methods.  Results  Totally 1 074 snail samples were identified， belonging to 8 families， 10 species， including Pomacea canaliculata（133）， Achatina fulica（25）， Cipangopaludina chinensis（183）， Bellamya aeruginosa（78）， Physa acuta（349）， Radix swinhoei（224）， Bradybaena similaris（45）， B. ravida sieboldiana（32）， Limax flavus（2）， and Philomycus bilineatus（3）. A. fulica was sold in market， and was not found in the field. The natural population of P. canaliculata was found in the field in Jinze Town of Qingpu District. A. cantonensis larvae were not detected.  Conclusion  No snails were found to be infected with A. cantonensis in Shanghai. Attention needs to be paid to the monitoring of P. canaliculata.

Experimental Observation on Host Preference of Anopheles sinensis

WANG Hai-fang1，2，WANG Huai-wei1，CHEN Peng1，GUO Xiu-xia1，LIU Li-juan1，ZHANG Chong-xing1，GONG Mao-qing1 *

2014, 32(6):  11-459-461. 

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Objective  To observe the host preference of Anopheles sinensis captured by outdoor human or cattle baits.  Methods  A large number of non-blood-fed An. sinensis females were collected by overnight trapping outdoor with human and cattle in the rice paddy field in Shan County of Shandong Province, and took back to the lab, and individually labeled as human baits group and cattle baits group, fed with mouse blood. The host preference of parent, F1 and F25 generations of the two groups were observed by mark-release-recapture methods in a large greenhouse.  Results  The recapture rates of parent, F1 and F25 generations were 39.02% （1 332/3 414）, 37.97% （2 583/6 803）, and 30.55% （1 523/4 986）, respectively. In parent generation, the proportion of mosquitoes from human baits group and cattle baits group collected by human-bait and cattle-bait was 54.07% （339/627） and 58.01% （409/705）, respectively （χ2=19.42，P﹤0.01）; in F1 generation, that of the two groups was 51.03% （669/1 311） and 55.11% （701/1 272）, respectively （χ2=9.75，P﹤0.01）; in F25 generation, that of the two groups was 51.98% （342/658） and 52.37 （453/865）, respectively （χ2=2.82，P﹥0.05）.  Conclusion  After culture for 25 generations in an experimental condition, the host preference for human or cattle of An. sinensis maybe change.

An Analysis on Funded Theses in the Chinese Journal of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases in 2009-2012

YI Feng-yun，ZHANG Zheng-yan，SHENG Hui-feng*

2014, 32(6):  12-462-464. 

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The published articles of the Chinese Journal of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases in 2009-2012（including original articles， experimental researches， field researches and clinical researches） were statistically analyzed. Together 258 research papers were published in the 4 years， and funded papers occupied 82.2%（212/258）. The number of papers funded by 1， 2， 3， 4， and 5 foundations projects was 116， 58， 29， 7 and 2， respectively. 61.8%（131/212） of the foundations projects were at the national level； 28.3%（60/212） were at provincial and ministerial level. The papers supported by academy and international agencies accounted for 7.1%（15/212）， 2.8%（6/212）， respectively. The funded thesis mainly referred to schistosomiasis（35， 16.5%）， cystic echinococcosis（29， 13.7%）， malaria（24， 11.3%）， toxoplasmosis（22， 10.4%）， and cysticercosis（9， 4.2%）. Five fields covered in these papers were as follows： epidemiology（29， 13.7%）， immunology and diagnosis（53， 25%）， molecular biology（75， 35.4%）， etiology（28，13.2%）， and pharmacology（24， 11.3%）. The ratio of founded paper was 0.70， 0.67， 0.74， and 0.65 during 2009-2012， respectively. The high ratio of founded paper indicated that this journal is with domestic and abroad importance in the field of parasitology.

Research Progress on Uridine Phosphorylase in Vertebrate and Parasites

LI Run-hua1，ZHU Jian-jiang2，YIN Guo-rong3 *

2014, 32(6):  13-465-468. 

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Uridine phosphorylase（UPP） is a key enzyme of pyrimidine salvage pathways， catalyzing the reversible phosphorolysis of ribosides of uracil to nucleobases and ribose 1-phosphate. UPP plays an important role in the regulation of uridine homeostasis. Although UPP from a variety of organisms have many similarities in their functions， there are differences in many other aspects， such as physical and chemical properties， structure characteristics， active sites， and substrate binding sites. Therefore， UPP has broad application prospects in the design and development of antibacterial， antiparasitic drugs. This article summarizes the physico-chemical property and research progress of UPP from a variety of organisms， in order to integrate information of UPP， provide theoretic basis for further study of Toxoplasma gondii UPP protein as a feasible target antigen for toxoplasmosis vaccination.

Major Host-protective Antigens of Taeniidae cestode and Their Molecular Biological Characteristics

YUE Long，FU Bao-quan*

2014, 32(6):  14-469-473. 

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Taeniidae cestodes are the pathogens of cysticercosis and hydatid disease， these diseases lead to substantial economic losses in animal husbandry and cause morbidity and mortality in human population. In recent years， many host-protective antigens of Taeniidae cestodes has been found， and their recombinant protein vaccines have been developed against several species， such as Taenia ovis， T. saginata， T. solium， Echinococcus granulosus， and E. multilocularis. This paper focuses on the major host-protective antigens of Taeniidae cestodes and their molecular biological characteristics.

Methods of Detecting Asymptomatic Plasmodium Parasites Carriers

XIAO Hui-hui，ZHOU Shui-sen*，XIA Zhi-gui，ZHANG Shao-sen

2014, 32(6):  15-474-477. 

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More attention has increasingly been given to asymptomatic carriers of plasmodium parasites as a source of infection in malaria elimination settings. However, asymptomatic infections can hardly be detected by microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests （RDTs） because of no symptoms and low parasitemia. This review summarizes the evolution of methods or tests which are currently used in the field.

Recent Progress on RNA Interference in Parasitic Nematodes

HE Li，ZHAO Jun-Long，HU Min*

2014, 32(6):  16-478-482. 

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RNA interference（RNAi） technique is a way by which the double-stranded RNA （dsRNA） intermediates the degradation of its homologous mRNA of given gene and specific inhibition of the gene expression subsequently in cells. It is widely applied in functional genomics studies in a wide range of organisms. This paper focuses on its discovery, biological significances, mechanism, and its application as well as the limitations in animal parasitic nematodes.

Epidemiological Investigation of Fascioliasis and Analysis of a Chronic Human Fascioliasis Case in Binchuan County，Yunnan Province

CHEN Feng1，YANG Hui1，LIU Yu-hua1 *，DUAN Yu-chun1，YANG Jing1，CUI Yu-hua1，YANG Li-qun1，YANG Qiong1，ZHANG Jian-guo2，LUO Jia-jun1

2014, 32(6):  17-422-424. 

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From February to March 2014， six natural villages in Zhoucheng Town， Binchuan County of Yunan Province， were randomly selected by cluster sampling. Serum anti-fascioliasis IgG was detected by ELISA. The sero-positive individuals were further tested for Fasciola infection using sediment detection with nylon bag（260 meshes） and Kato-Katz method. Among 1 207 sampled persons， the sero-positive rate was 3.0%（36/1 207）. The rate in males and females was 2.3%（12/530） and 3.6%（24/677）（u=1.46， P＞0.05）. The sero-positive rate in Zhoucheng Village and Baizhuang Village was 4.0%（24/616） and 2.0%（12/591）， respectively（u=2.07， P＜0.05）. The positive rate of stool examination in serum-positive persons was 6.5%（2/31）. One stool-egg-positive patients was the case in 2012 outbreak， and the eggs were stale. The other patient was newly infected， and further clinical diagnosis indicated that it was a case of chronic fascioliasis.

An Observation on the Histological Structure of Oncomelania hupensis Soft Tissue by Agar-Paraffin Double-embedding Method

TAN Ping*，ZHANG Jie，LI Qing，YU Zhi-jun

2014, 32(6):  18-429-431. 

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In order to study the histological structure of Oncomelania hupensis soft tissue， the fixed soft tissues of O. hupensis were pre-embedded in the agar and made blocks， then dehydrated， transparentized， immersed in paraffin， sectioned， and stained with haematoxylin-eosin（HE）. Permanent slides of O. hupensis soft tissue were obtained. The histological structure of soft tissues was clear under the microscope.

Malaria Situation in Hunan Province during 2011-2013

ZHUANG Shi-feng，HE Zhuo，LI Zheng-xiang，WANG Guo-qing，WU Wen-tao

2014, 32(6):  19-483-484. 

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Malaria data in 2011-2013 were collected and statistically analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2003 software. A total of 501 malaria cases were reported， and the annual incidence was 0.2510/100 000， 0.2486/100 000， and 0.3223/100 000， in 2011， 2012， and 2013， respectively， with an average of 0.2740/100 000 in Hunan Province. All these cases were imported and mainly reported from Changsha（44.3%， 222/501）， Shaoyang（16.6%， 83/501）， Huaihua（8.4%， 42/501）， and Yiyang（8.0%， 40/501）. 97.0%（486/501） of the cases were laboratory confirmed cases， while the other 3.0%（15/501） were clinically diagnosed. Among those lab confirmed， 41.3%（207/501） were vivax malaria cases， 47.9%（240/501） falciparum malaria cases， 1.4%（7/501）ovale malaria cases， 0.8%（4/501）malariae cases， 6.6%（33/501）mixed infection， and 2.0%（10/501） were unclassified cases. Most cases（202/501） occurred among persons aged 40-49 years. These patients were mainly farmers， workers， migrant workers， and cadres. 47.7%（239/501） were from Africa and 50.1%（251/501） from Southeast Asia.

Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Pet Dogs and Owners in Hangzhou

WANG Jia*，XU Wei-min，WANG Heng，YANG Yang，JIN Xing-yi，HUANG Yang-mei

2014, 32(6):  20-485-486. 

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Sixty pet feeding families were obtained by random sampling in Hangzhou. The positive rate of IgG antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in pet owners was 3.3%（4/120）. The rate in males and females was 8.6%（3/35）and 1.2% （1/85）（χ²=4.207， P<0.05）. The positive rate in pet dogs was 13.3% （8/60）. The positive rate in dogs fed with a raw-meat diet （33.3%， 4/12） were significantly higher than that of others（4.2%， 2/48）（χ²=6.123， P<0.05）.