China's new strategy to block Schistosoma japonicum transmission: experiences and impact beyond schistosomiasis.
Despite sustained efforts for its control made over the past 50+ years, the re-emergence of schistosomiasis in China was noted around the turn of the new millennium. Consequently, a new integrated strategy was proposed to stop the contamination of schistosome eggs to the environment, which emphasizes health education, access to clean water and adequate sanitation, mechanization of agriculture and fencing of water buffaloes, along with chemotherapy. Validation of this integrated control strategy in four pilot counties in the provinces of Anhui, Hubei, Hunan and Jiangxi revealed significant reductions in the rate of Schistosoma japonicum infection in humans and intermediate host snails. Importantly, this strategy showed an impact on diseases beyond schistosomiasis, signified by concomitant reductions in the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth infections. In view of China's new integrated strategy for transmission control of schistosomiasis showing an ancillary benefit on other helminthic diseases, we encourage others to investigate the scope and limits of integrated control of neglected tropical diseases.
Wang
Long-De
LD
School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
Guo
Jia-Gang
JG
Wu
Xiao-Hua
XH
Chen
Hong-Gen
HG
Wang
Tian-Ping
TP
Zhu
Shao-Ping
SP
Zhang
Zhi-Hai
ZH
Steinmann
Peter
P
Yang
Guo-Jing
GJ
Wang
Shi-Ping
SP
Wu
Zhong-Dao
ZD
Wang
Li-Ying
LY
Hao
Yang
Y
Bergquist
Robert
R
Utzinger
Jürg
J
Zhou
Xiao-Nong
XN
D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D002020:Buffaloes; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D053833:Wetlands