Investigation of major parasitic diseases and related knowledge, attitude and practice among rural residents in Liyang City

Abstract

To investigate the prevalence of major parasitic diseases and related knowledge, attitude and practice among rural residents in Liyang City, so as to provide the evidence for formulating appropriate preventive strategies and measures. Three villages were selected from three towns as survey sites, and the residents who were above three years old and had been in the village for over six months were investigated. The Kato-Katz technique was applied to detect intestinal parasite eggs in residents' feces, and the cellophane anal swab was used to detect Enterobius vermicularis eggs among children aged 3-6 years. The iodine liquid smear and saline smear methods were used to examine intestinal protozoa cysts or trophozoites. Hookworm species were identified by the tube filter paper culture method. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the information on residents' knowledge, attitude and practice of the prevention and control of major parasitic diseases. Totally 759 residents were investigated and tested at the three rural survey sites, and only 2 cases were detected of parasitic infection and the total infection rate was 0.26%. Both cases were mild infections without mixed infection. The total awareness rate of knowledge on ascariasis, trichuriasis and ancylostomiasis was 37.9%, while the awareness rate of knowledge on clonorchiasis was 13.8%. The age and educational level were important factors of the knowledge on prevention and control of parasitic diseases among the residents. The formation rates of washing hands before meal and after using the toilet, and never drinking unboiled water were 83.8% and 92.1%, respectively. Totally 11.6% of the residents usually ate raw or half-cooked freshwater fishes and shrimps, and 53.0% had not the behavior to prepare raw and cooked food using the different chopping boards. The proportions of residents using fresh feces as manure and working in the field with bare feet were 13.8% and 22.8% respectively. The proportions of residents who thought they could, could not, or were not sure to change the risk behaviors and habits of parasitic infections were 40.2%, 28.5% and 31.4%, respectively. The infection rate of major parasitic diseases among the rural residents in Liyang City is low, and the awareness rate of knowledge on preventing parasitic diseases is also low. Therefore, the health education on the prevention and control of parasitic diseases should be strengthened to guide them to develop good hygiene, diet and farming habits. The environmental sanitation should be continuously improved to block the endemic of parasitic infection.