title: Epidemiology of Echinococcosis Among Schoolchildren in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai, China.
abstract: Echinococcosis is a serious zoonotic parasitic disease that is highly endemic in Qinghai Province. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of echinococcosis among schoolchildren in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture to improve early diagnosis and treatment of patients and to provide information for echinococcosis prevention and control. A total of 11,260 schoolchildren from five counties (Maqin, Gander, Dari, Jiuzhi, and Banma) in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, were screened for echinococcosis. Screening involved ultrasound imaging combined with serologic examination as an auxiliary diagnostic test. The prevalence of echinococcosis in the schoolchildren was 2.1% (235/11,260), with a rate of 0.8% for cystic echinococcosis (CE; 89/11,260) and 1.3% for alveolar echinococcosis (AE; 146/11,260). Additionally, one child had a mixed infection. The prevalence ranged between 1.1% and 4.1% among the five investigated counties, and was highest in Dari County (4.1%). The prevalence of echinococcosis was higher in girls than in boys and gradually increased with age. In addition, children with CE mainly had type 1 (CE1) and type 3 (CE3) lesions, and children with AE mainly had small-diameter calcified lesions, suggesting that they were in the early asymptomatic stage of echinococcosis. In conclusion, children of Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture appear to exhibit the highest recorded prevalence of CE and AE globally. Ultrasound is useful for screening populations in regions where both CE and AE are endemic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasite Control, Qinghai Province Institute for Endemic Diseases Prevention and Control, Xining, China.|National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, WHO Collaborating Center of Malaria, Schistosomiasis and Filariasis, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Huixia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, WHO Collaborating Center of Malaria, Schistosomiasis and Filariasis, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yayi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasite Control, Qinghai Province Institute for Endemic Diseases Prevention and Control, Xining, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, WHO Collaborating Center of Malaria, Schistosomiasis and Filariasis, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Liying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Endemic Disease Administration Office, Qinghai Province Health and Family Planning Commission, Xining, China.
authors.forename: Hu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasite Control, Qinghai Province Institute for Endemic Diseases Prevention and Control, Xining, China.
authors.forename: Guoming
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasite Control, Qinghai Province Institute for Endemic Diseases Prevention and Control, Xining, China.
authors.forename: Xuefei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Clinical Medical Research Institute, Qinghai Provincial People's Hospital, Xining, China.
authors.forename: Xiumin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasite Control, Qinghai Province Institute for Endemic Diseases Prevention and Control, Xining, China.
authors.forename: Junying
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasite Control, Qinghai Province Institute for Endemic Diseases Prevention and Control, Xining, China.
authors.forename: Yu Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and Education, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasite Control, Qinghai Province Institute for Endemic Diseases Prevention and Control, Xining, China.
authors.forename: Jingxiao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasite Control, Qinghai Province Institute for Endemic Diseases Prevention and Control, Xining, China.
authors.forename: Yongshun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasite Control, Qinghai Province Institute for Endemic Diseases Prevention and Control, Xining, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Endemic Disease Administration Office, Qinghai Province Health and Family Planning Commission, Xining, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasite Control, Qinghai Province Institute for Endemic Diseases Prevention and Control, Xining, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, WHO Collaborating Center of Malaria, Schistosomiasis and Filariasis, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Weiping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth