Abstract
China has had a long history against schistosomiasis japonica. The most serious prognosis of chronic schistosome infection is hepatic fibrosis, which develops into advanced schistosomiasis if the process is not effectively controlled. After a more than seven decades endeavor, China has gained remarkable achievements in schistosomiasis control and achieved transmission control nationwide (infection rate of schistosomes in residents and domestic animals both less than 1%) by 2015. However, new advanced schistosomiasis cases emerge annually in China, even in areas where the transmission of schistosomiasis had been interrupted. In the present study, the residents (>5 years old) in a schistosomiasis endemic village were examined for schistosomiasis every year during 1995–2019 by the modified Kato–Katz thick smear method and/or miracidium hatching technique. Residents who were identified to have an active infection method were treated with praziquantel at a dose of 40 mg/kg body weight. Ultrasonography was carried out to assess the liver morbidity related to schistosomiasis in 1995 and 2019, respectively. The prevalence of schistosomiasis among residents presented a downward trend annually, from 17.89% (175/978) in 1995 to 0 (0/475) in 2019. Among 292 residents who received ultrasound scan both in 1995 and 2019, 141 (48.29%) presented stable liver damage, while liver fibrosis was developed severely in 86 (29.45%) and reversed in 65 (22.26%) residents. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that anti-fibrosis treatment was the protective factor against schistosomiasis hepatic fibrosis. Males, residents aged 38 and above, fishermen, and people who did not receive anti-fibrosis treatment were groups with higher risk of liver fibrosis development. Our results revealed that although the infection rate of schistosome dropped significantly in endemic areas, liver fibrosis was still developing among some residents, even though they had received deworming treatment. Liver protection/anti-fibrosis treatment should be administered in endemic regions and regions with historically uncontrolled transmission to slow down the deterioration of hepatic fibrosis among patients in schistosomiasis endemic areas.
Highlights
IntroductionSchistosomiasis, a water-borne disease, is endemic in 78 countries in Africa, South
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Schistosomiasis, a water-borne disease, is endemic in 78 countries in Africa, SouthAmerica, and Asia [1]
The results showed that anti-fibrosis treatment is the protective factor against schistosomiasis hepatic fibrosis
Summary
Schistosomiasis, a water-borne disease, is endemic in 78 countries in Africa, South. It is a serious global health problem and is a neglected tropical disease [2]. In China, schistosomiasis japonica caused by Schistosoma japonicum was epidemic in 12 provinces (cities, autonomous regions) along the Yangtze River, leading to heavy disease burden [3]. After more than seven decades of efforts and hard work, schistosomiasis has been effectively controlled in endemic areas through comprehensive interventions. By the end of 2015, China achieved the national criteria of transmission control (infection rate of schistosomes in residents and domestic animals less than 1%) [4]. There were 30,175 schistosomiasis cases documented in 2019, in which the majority were advanced cases with various clinical manifestations [5]
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