title: Comparative analysis of knowledge on schistosomiasis japonica in the local people in the former endemic area in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan: comparisons among the background of age and occupation.
abstract: Eradication of schistosomiasis japonica in Yamanashi Prefecture was officially declared in 1996, and all surveillance and health campaign were finished by the end of 2001. Schistosomiasis control had been carried out by strong collaboration among local Government, local people and academia, thought which knowledge and experiences of the disease control were accumulated among the local people. It is 20thanniversary of the disease eradication in Yamanashi. We planned to analyze the current situation whether the local people still keep the knowledge of schistosomiasis or not. There was no more knowledge kept in the middle school students, to whom the local Government did not educate about schistosomiasis. Among adult individuals, elderly people who have experienced endemic condition still know about it at almost comparable level as in the past. However, younger people who learned it in the primary school but no experience of the disease transmission started losing the knowledge. Those situations of the adult local people were compared with the veterinarian group. It was confirmed that the veterinarian group had correct and proper knowledge of schistosomiasis japonica not only in elderly groups, but also in younger age group. Considering that methods for control and prevention of infectious diseases are common to some extent, their knowledge and experiences would be applicable for other infectious diseases in future. Therefore, the knowledge would be worth keeping in the local people. Taken together, individuals with specialty, such as veterinarians, are expected to play roles in public health for promotion of health and welfare.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Parasitology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences,1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuhide
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yasukawa
authors.forename: Eiichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sei
authors.forename: Koh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawasumi
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miya
authors.forename: Hironobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minai
authors.forename: Rieko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shimogawara
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D012908:Snails / Q000469:parasitology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018634:Veterinarians