title: A multidisciplinary, integrated approach for the elimination of schistosomiasis: a longitudinal study in a historically hyper-endemic region in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China from 2005 to 2014.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although great success has been achieved, schistosomiasis remains a major public health concern in China, and the remaining core endemic regions are concentrated along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. In this longitudinal study, we evaluated the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary, integrated approach for schistosomiasis elimination in a historically hyper-endemic region in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China over the 10-year period from 2005 through 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  A three-step roadmap for schistosomiasis elimination was designed in the study site, and multidisciplinary, integrated interventions were implemented by the health, agriculture, water resources development, land and resources, and forestry sectors from 2005 to 2014, including chemotherapy for infected individuals, health education, management of the source of Schistosoma japonicum infection, and intermediate host snail control. The annual number of schistosomiasis patients, S. japonicum infection in humans, bovines and Oncomelania hupensis snails, and water infectivity were observed to assess the effectiveness of the multidisciplinary, integrated approach for the elimination of schistosomiasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a tendency towards a gradual decline in both the number of schistosomiasis cases and the prevalence of S. japonicum human infection across the study period from 2005 through 2014. No S. japonicum human infection was detected since 2012, and no acute infection was seen since 2006. During the study period, no infection was found in bovines, and a 0.03% overall infection rate was observed in O. hupensis snails. Since 2009, no infected snails were identified, and the area of both snail habitats and infected snail habitats appeared a reduction over the study period. Following the 3-year multidisciplinary, integrated control, infection control was achieved, and transmission control was achieved after 6-year implementation, with all infected snails and water infectivity eliminated; in addition, the 10-year implementation resulted in interruption of schistosomiasis transmission in the study site in 2014.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present 10-year longitudinal study demonstrate that the multidisciplinary, integrated approach is effective for the elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, No. 117 Yangxiang, Meiyuan, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, 214064, China.|Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasites and Vector Control Technology, No. 117 Yangxiang, Meiyuan, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, 214064, China.|Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, No. 117 Yangxiang, Meiyuan, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, 214064, China.
authors.forename: Le-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, No. 117 Yangxiang, Meiyuan, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, 214064, China. wangwei@jipd.com.|Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasites and Vector Control Technology, No. 117 Yangxiang, Meiyuan, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, 214064, China. wangwei@jipd.com.|Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, No. 117 Yangxiang, Meiyuan, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, 214064, China. wangwei@jipd.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5709-981X
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Yangzhou Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 36 Yanfu East Road, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, 225000, China.
authors.forename: Yin-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, No. 117 Yangxiang, Meiyuan, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, 214064, China.|Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasites and Vector Control Technology, No. 117 Yangxiang, Meiyuan, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, 214064, China.|Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, No. 117 Yangxiang, Meiyuan, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, 214064, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Biao
authors.initials: QB
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Yangzhou Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 36 Yanfu East Road, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, 225000, China.
authors.forename: Guang-Lin
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Hanjiang District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wenhui West Road, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, 225000, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Cai
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Yangzhou Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 36 Yanfu East Road, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, 225000, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, No. 117 Yangxiang, Meiyuan, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, 214064, China.|Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasites and Vector Control Technology, No. 117 Yangxiang, Meiyuan, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, 214064, China.|Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, No. 117 Yangxiang, Meiyuan, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, 214064, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Jing
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Yangzhou Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 36 Yanfu East Road, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, 225000, China.
authors.forename: Dao-Jian
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, No. 117 Yangxiang, Meiyuan, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, 214064, China.|Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasites and Vector Control Technology, No. 117 Yangxiang, Meiyuan, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, 214064, China.|Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, No. 117 Yangxiang, Meiyuan, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, 214064, China.
authors.forename: You-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D060740:Disease Eradication / Q000379:methods*; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D015995:Prevalence; D045483:Rivers / Q000469:parasitology*; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000662:veterinary; D012908:Snails / Q000469:parasitology*
keywords: China; Elimination; Integrated control; Longitudinal study; Multidisciplinary approach; Schistosomiasis; Yangtze River