[Surveillance on the prevalence of soil-transmitted nematode infection in Fujian in 2006-2010].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the prevalent trend of soil-transmitted nematode infection in Fujian Province during the past 5 year surveillance and evaluate the control effect.


METHODS
From 2006 to 2010, fecal samples of the inhabitants of 3 years old and above were collected every November and examined for intestinal helminth eggs by the modified Kato s thick smear technique at the 2 surveillance sites: Punan village of Zhangzhou and Gushan village of Shaowu. Cellophane tapes were used to detect pinworm eggs for children aged 3-12. Soil samples were also collected from vegetable field, lavatory, courtyard and kitchen of 20 randomly selected families (in 2 villages) each with stool egg-positive findings and examined for ascaris eggs by a modified saturated sodium nitrate floatation method.


RESULTS
The prevalence of soil-transmitted nematode infection at the surveillance sites decreased from 45.3% (946/2087) in 2006 to 15.1% (226/1494) in 2010, with a reduction of 66.6%. Among the infected subjects, hookworm infection occupied 75%-85%, while ascaris or trichuris infections each accounted for less than 10%. In terms of infection intensity, 65.2%-85.5% of the hookworm infection was light, and majority of the infected subjects were farmers. The pinworm prevalence in children were still high although it had dropped down from 46.1% (140/304) in 2006 to 29.8% (36/121) in 2010, declined by 35.4%. In the 5 years, totally 400 soil samples from 100 families were examined and 21 samples were found ascaris egg positive with viable eggs in only one sample.


CONCLUSIONS
The 5 year surveillance reveals a decreasing trend of the soil-transmitted nematode prevalence but shows a relatively high hookworm infection rate in the population and pinworm infection in children.
Fujian Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fuzhou 350001, China.
Bao-jian
BJ
Chen
Li-sha
LS
Li
Rong-yan
RY
Zhang
Yan-rong
YR
Li
Zhi-fang
ZF
Zhang
Guo-bin
GB
Zheng
Yan-yan
YY
Fang
Chen-xin
CX
Lin
Dian-wei
DW
Jiang
D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology*
D012987:Soil