Abstract:

【Abstract】 Objective  To investigate the outcomes of schistosomiasis control by hardening water diversion channels originated from snail ridden areas in Dongting Lake. Methods  East-West main channels and their branches, which were hardened with cement and concrete and run through Zhongzhou Town in Yueyang County, were selected as study sites. The information on endemic situation and measures for schistosomiasis control as well as the snail density changes in the marshland near the water inlet and within the channels were collected from 2006 to 2015 for evaluation of the outcomes after hardening the water diversion channels. Results  Average snail density in between 2006 and 2016 in the marshland around water sources was fluctuated in 0.40 heads/0.11m2. The average snail density inside the water diversion channel was 0.1999heads/0.11m2, and average infected snail density was 0.0018 heads/0.11m2 before channel hardening. However, no snails were found inside the diversion works from 2007 to 2015, when the rate of schisosome infection was dropped to 0.19% from 6.12% in population living along the diversion channels, and to zero from 14.86% in domestic animals over the same period. Conclusion  Hardening the water diversion channels originated from snail ridden areas in Dongting Lake can effectively prevent snails from spreading and breeding inside the works, and local transmission of schistosomiasis can be totally controlled by additional conventional measures.

Key words: Schistosomiasis, Oncomelania snail, Water diversion channels, Hardening, Dongting Lake