Hunan Dongting Lake Area Of Schistosomiasis Endemic History(1949-1965)

Schistosomiasis is a pandemic and propagative endemic disease in Yangtze River and the south of it in China. In this paper, with the theory and knowledge of history, sociology, medicine, environmental ecology and so on, and from the natural and social history and other perspectives, we probed into the epidemic situation, the popular reason, as well as the hazards and impact of schistosomiasis on the local community in Dongting Lake in Hunan Province during 1949-1965. Through discussion, now references were provided for the prevention and control of schistosomiasis in our region and even our nation.The areas of Dongting Lake in Hunan were one of the most serious epidemic regions of schistosomiasis, but also the earliest identified endemic areas of schistosomiasis in China. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, it had been identified that there was schistosomiasis in the areas of Dongting Lake in Hunan, but the specific identification of prevalent areas has experienced a long process. Until 1950s, the Communist Party of China and government attach great importance to it, and after a series of investigations of schistosomiasis, Yueyang, Yuanjiang, Huarong and other 18 cities and counties in the areas of Dongting Lake, Hunan were identified as the areas of schistosomiasis endemic epidemic by officers.The reason that there was such vast popularity of schistosomiasis in the areas of Dongting Lake in Hunan was the interaction of the natural factors and the social factors, and the social factors played a key role. Namely: The special natural environment in the areas of Dongting Lake, Hunan provided schistosome with a suitable natural environment, and frequent outbreaks of floods had facilitated the prevalence and spread of schistosomiasis; at the same time, the social factors, such as the continued growth and the constant mobility of the population, the backward mode of production, bad living habits, poor sanitation facilities, the poor sanitation, poor medical facilities, people's weak awareness of schistosomiasis, the serious feudal superstition and so on, further hastened the prevalence and spread of schistosomiasis. In the interaction of the above various factors, the prevalence and spread of schistosomiasis in the areas of Dongting Lake in Hunan showed very obvious characteristics that the level of schistosomiasis infection was closely related to the patients'occupation, gender and age; acute schistosomiasis were presented obvious characteristics, such as obvious regionality, strong seasonality, relatively susceptible population, the main mode of infection and so on.The widespread prevalence and spread of schistosomiasis in the areas of Dongting Lake in Hunan had brought great harm to and great impact on the community. First, it seriously endangered people's health, resulting in a large number of the death of population; Secondly, it destroyed the social productive forces, affecting the smooth progress of the building of agricultural production and socio-economic development; Fourthly, it directly affected the national defense building; Finally, it gave enormous harm to the local livestock, especially the farming bovine, and resulted in heavy losses in the agricultural economy.