| Objective In Gansu Province, which is a mixed epidemic area of echinococcus granulosus and echinococcus alveolaris, the disease is one of the causes of local people’s poverty. To reveal the distribution characteristics and prevalence regularity of echinococciasis and investigate the influencing factors will facilitate scientific management of and guidance for prevention and treatment of the disease and also provide reference for devising targeted prevention and control measures.Methods In this study, the survey data on prevalence of echinococciasis in Gansu Province in 2014 were statistically analyzed using such methods as epidemic area classification, simple linear regression and multiple Logistic regression to investigate distribution characteristics of echinococciasis and related influencing factors.Results (1) Human echinocociasis:The population morbidity rate was 0.20% with no significant difference between males and females (x2=7.474, P>0.05);morbidiry rates in different age groups ranged from 0.10% to 1.35% with statistically significant differences (χ2=237.623, P<0.05), being high in people aged >50;morbidity rates in people with different educational levels were statistically significantly different (x2=139.274, P<0.05), being relatively high in those with low educational levels; morbidity rates in different races ranged from 0.00% to 0.58% with statistically significant differences (χ2=252.114, P<0.05), being the highest in Tibetan people, followed by those in Yugur, Mongolian, Han, Hui and Dongxiang people, and the lowest in Uighur people; morbidity rates in people with different occupations ranged from 0.00% to 0.72% with statistically significant differences (x2=143.892, P<0.05), being the highest in herdsmen, followed by those in merchants, people who were herdsmen and also peasants, peasants, teachers, students and stay-at-home people, and the lowest in workers and cadres;morbidity rates in people holding different religious beliefs were statistically significantly different (x2=207.761, P<0.05), being the highest in Buddhists, followed by those in people with no religious belief and Islamist;smorbidity rates in people with different habitation styles were statistically significantly different (χ2=172.118, P<0.05), being the highest in people who settled down in winter and lived a nomadic life in summer, followed by those in nomads and residents. (2) Livestock morbidity rates:The total livestock morbidity rate was 1.39%, and the morbidity rates in sheep and cattle were 1.56% and 0.78%, respectively. Morbidity rates of echinococciasis in domestic animals at different dental ages were statistically significantly different (sheep:χ2=2825.571, P<0.05; cattle:χ2=411.333, P<0.05;). Sheep with echinococciasis were mainly found in the dental age group of 1-3 years, and the morbidity rate increased with dental age. Morbidity rates of echinococciasis in cattle showed a staged characteristic, and the diseased animals were mainly found in the dental age group of 1～3 years. (3) The average positive rate of echinococcal antigen in canine feces was 4.69%; the positive rates were the highest in Dunhuang City, Yumen City, Anning District, Suzhou District and Gaolan County. (4) Depending on three indicators including the population morbidity rate, the livestock infection rate and the positive rate of echinococcal antigen in canine feces, epidemic counties (cities/districts) of echinococciasis in Gansu Province were divided into four prevalent types, i.e. areas where the three indicators were successively high, low and low (class I); areas where the three indicators were successively low, high and low (class II); areas where the three indicators were successively low, low and high (class III); and areas where the three indicators were all low (class IV). Thereby, geographical distribution of the four prevalent types was clarified. (5) Factors for prevalence:The morbidity rate of human echinococciasis is associated with sources of drinking water, prevalent villages, yearly precipitation, secondary industries, quantity of domestic animals, etc.Conclusions This study has revealed that the prevalence of echinococciasis in Gansu Province varies in different regions; The population distribution of state is based on middle-aged elderly residents in pastoral area.Identified different prevalent regions of echinococciasis in Gansu Province on the basis of disease/injection severity differences and characteristics in human beings, livestock and dogs; and clarified that livestock morbidity, prevalent villages, yearly precipitation, secondary industries and proportions of families drinking river water and spring water in different counties are important factors influencing prevalence of human echinococciasis in such areas. The above results are valuable for guiding classified control management and scientific prevention and treatment of echinococciasis in Gansu Province. |
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