TY - JOUR
T1 - Five year impact of chemotherapy on morbidity attributable to Schistosoma japonicum infection in the Dongting Lake region
AU - Ross, Allen G.P.
AU - Li, Yuesheng
AU - Booth, Mark
AU - Sleigh, Adrian C.
AU - Williams, Gail M.
AU - McManus, Donald P.
PY - 1998
Y1 - 1998
N2 - Objective To determine
changes in the last 5 years of the fraction of acute and chronic
symptoms attributable to schistosomiasis japonica in fishing communities
with moderate endemicity in the Dongting Lake region of China.
Method Complete medical
histories, physical examinations, and stool samples were obtained from
1909 individuals (53% male) ranging in age from 4 to 81 years. Age, sex,
occupation, frequency of water contact, number of times treated for
schistosomiasis, and last year of treatment were tested as potential
effect modifiers and confounders.
Results Overall, there
were very few infected cases and very little variation in any prevalence
ratio with infection intensity, sex, age, year of last treatment,
number of times treated or frequency of water contact. The attributable
fraction of liver enlargement in one village was estimated at 0.114
(11.4%), although this was not significantly > 0 (95% CI; −
0.008–0.237).
Conclusion The
chemotherapy-based schistosomiasis control programme in this locality
has succeeded in reducing attributable morbidity to undetectable levels,
but many uncertainties remain about sustaining control efforts in the
future. Both old and new control strategies will have to be examined if
the health and well-being of these people are to be maintained into the
next millennium, given that periodic chemotherapy will not be accepted
indefinitely.
AB - Objective To determine
changes in the last 5 years of the fraction of acute and chronic
symptoms attributable to schistosomiasis japonica in fishing communities
with moderate endemicity in the Dongting Lake region of China.
Method Complete medical
histories, physical examinations, and stool samples were obtained from
1909 individuals (53% male) ranging in age from 4 to 81 years. Age, sex,
occupation, frequency of water contact, number of times treated for
schistosomiasis, and last year of treatment were tested as potential
effect modifiers and confounders.
Results Overall, there
were very few infected cases and very little variation in any prevalence
ratio with infection intensity, sex, age, year of last treatment,
number of times treated or frequency of water contact. The attributable
fraction of liver enlargement in one village was estimated at 0.114
(11.4%), although this was not significantly > 0 (95% CI; −
0.008–0.237).
Conclusion The
chemotherapy-based schistosomiasis control programme in this locality
has succeeded in reducing attributable morbidity to undetectable levels,
but many uncertainties remain about sustaining control efforts in the
future. Both old and new control strategies will have to be examined if
the health and well-being of these people are to be maintained into the
next millennium, given that periodic chemotherapy will not be accepted
indefinitely.
KW - Attributable fractions
KW - China
KW - Morbidity
KW - Prevalence ratios
KW - Schistosoma japonicum
KW - Schistosomiasis
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U2 - 10.1046/j.1365-3156.1998.00305.x
DO - 10.1046/j.1365-3156.1998.00305.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 9809918
AN - SCOPUS:0031756433
VL - 3
SP - 837
EP - 841
JO - Tropical and Geographical Medicine
JF - Tropical and Geographical Medicine
SN - 1360-2276
IS - 10
ER -