[Evaluation of the effect of the integrated echinococcosis control program in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from 2011...

To evaluate the effect of the integrated echinococcosis control program in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from 2011 to 2018.

A package of integrated interventions were employed for echinococcosis control in 22 counties (districts) of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from 2011 to 2018, including screening of human echinococcosis, treatment of echinococcosis patients, deworming of domestic dogs and monitoring of infections, surveillance of echinococcosis in bovines and sheep, health education. The detection of human echinococcosis, seroprevalence of anti-Echinococcus antibody in children at ages of 6 to 12 years, the Echinococcus coproantigen-positive rate in domestic dogs, prevalence of echinococcosis in bovines and sheep, and the awareness of echinococcosis control knowledge were investigated and compared during the period between 2011 and 2018.

The detection of human echinococcosis appeared a decline tendency in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region over years during the period from 2011 to 2018 (χ²_trend = 82.22, P < 0.05), and the prevalence of human echinococcosis decreased from 0.31% in 2011 to 0.15% in 2018. The seroprevalence of anti-Echinococcus antibody appeared a decline tendency in children at ages of 6 to 12 years over years (χ²_trend = 439.64, P < 0.01), and the prevalence of anti-Echinococcus antibody decreased from 6.12% in 2011 to 0.67% in 2018. The Echinococcus coproantigen-positive rate appeared a decline tendency in domestic dogs over years (χ²_trend = 260.33, P < 0.05), and the prevalence of anti-Echinococcus antibody decreased from 7.11% in 2011 to 0.75% in 2018. The prevalence of bovine and sheep echinococcosis reduced from 3.26% and 5.08% in 2011 to 1.35% and 0.76% in 2018, and Echinococcus predominantly parasitized in bovine (92.00%) and sheep (93.94%) livers. A total of 63 stool samples were collected from red fox, wolf and badger in Xiji and Haiyuan counties of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in 2013 and 2014, with no Echinococcus coproantigen-positives detected, and 107 domestic cats and 3 domestic dogs were dissected in these two counties, with no Echinococcus found. A total of 6 046 wild mice were dissected in Xiji County, Yuanzhou District and Haiyuan County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from 2016 to 2019, and the prevalence of E. multilocularis was 0.31%. The awareness of echinococcosis control knowledge appeared an increasing tendency in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region over years from 2011 to 2018 (χ²_trend = 3 367.97, P < 0.01), and the awareness increased from 21.83% in 2011 to 72.24% in 2018.

The integrated echinococcosis control program achieves a remarkable effect in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and the transmission of echinococcosis has been preliminarily controlled. However, the echinococcosis transmission risk remains in few regions, and the integrated echinococcosis control program remains to be reinforced.