[Spatial distribution of Oncomelania hupensis spread in Hubei Province from 2020 to 2022]

To identify the spatial distribution pattern of Oncomelania hupensis spread in Hubei Province, so as to provide insights into precision O. hupensis snail control in the province.

Data pertaining to emerging and reemerging snails were collected from Hubei Province from 2020 to 2022 to build a spatial database of O. hupensis snail spread. The spatial clustering of O. hupensis snail spread was identified using global and local spatial autocorrelation analyses, and the hot spots of snail spread were identified using kernel density estimation. In addition, the correlation between environments with snail spread and the distance from the Yangtze River was evaluated using nearest-neighbor analysis and Spearman correlation analysis.

O. hupensis snail spread mainly occurred along the Yangtze River and Jianghan Plain in Hubei Province from 2020 to 2022, with a total spread area of 4 320.63 hm², including 1 230.77 hm² emerging snail habitats and 3 089.87 hm² reemerging snail habitats. Global spatial autocorrelation analysis showed spatial autocorrelation in the O. hupensis snail spread in Hubei Province in 2020 and 2021, appearing a spatial clustering pattern (Moran's I = 0.003 593 and 0.060 973, both P values < 0.05), and the mean density of spread snails showed spatial aggregation in Hubei Province in 2020 (Moran's I = 0.512 856, P < 0.05). Local spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that the high-high clustering areas of spread snails were mainly distributed in 50 settings of 10 counties (districts) in Hubei Province from 2020 to 2022, and the high-high clustering areas of the mean density of spread snails were predominantly found in 219 snail habitats in four counties of Jiangling, Honghu, Yangxin and Gong'an. Kernel density estimation showed that there were high-, secondary high- and medium-density hot spots in snail spread areas in Hubei Province from 2020 to 2022, which were distributed in Jingzhou District, Wuxue District, Honghu County and Huangzhou District, respectively. There were high- and medium-density hot spots in the mean density of spread snails, which were located in Jiangling County, Honghu County and Yangxin County, respectively. In addition, the snail spread areas negatively correlated with the distance from the Yangtze River (r = -0.108 9, P < 0.05).

There was spatial clustering of O. hupensis snail spread in Hubei Province from 2020 to 2022. The monitoring and control of O. hupensis snails require to be reinforced in the clustering areas, notably in inner embankments to prevent reemerging schistosomiasis.