title: [Study on assessing system for endemicity of schistosomiasis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish a scientific, objective and operational assessing system for schistosomiasis endemicity, so as to provide a scientific evidence for revising the current Criteria for Control and Elimination of Schistosomiasis in China (GB 15976-2006).
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was designed based on reference review and 20 scientists working in the field of schistosomiasis control, research or management were investigated by using the Delphi method. The importance of each index reflecting the endemicity of schistosomiasis was scored by each scientist. The assessing system for endemicity of schistosomiasis was established and the normalized weight and combined weight were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The assessing system included three indices in the first grade and seven indices in the second grade. Among the indices in the first grade, the normalized weights of infection status of human beings, infection status of livestock, and Oncomelania snail's status were 0.360 2, 0.335 2, and 0.304 6, respectively. Among the indices in the second grade, the prevalence of livestock showed the highest combined weight of 0.335 2 while the infection rate of snails showed the lowest score of 0.093 3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The indexes of the assessing system for the endemicity of schistosomiasis established are reasonable, comprehensive, and authoritative, which provide the scientific evidence for revising the currently available Criteria for Control and Elimination of Schistosomiasis in China.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Parasite & Vector Biology, Ministry of Public Health, WHO Collaborating Center for Malaria, Schistosomiasis and Filariasis, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jun-Fang
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Dan-Dan
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Tian-Ping
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shi-Zhu
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jia-Gang
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Xiao-Nong
authors.initials: XN
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060740:Disease Eradication / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005104:Expert Testimony; D006801:Humans; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires