[The epidemiological efficacy of opisthorchiasis control measures in Dnieper River basin foci]

The authors assess the epidemiologic efficacy of wide-scale antiopisthorchiasis measures taken in the basin of the Dnepr River in 1984-1990. The structure of the population morbidity and the time course of this morbidity under the effect of a complex of measures taken were analyzed in low-, medium, and highly-endemic foci of the disease. Hygienic education and adequate detection and treatment of the invaded subjects were found to be the principal factors contributing to sanitation of the population. These measures are the most effective in subjects aged under 40, in whom the share of cured subjects is the highest and reinvasions are the least frequent. Health education detection and chloxyl treatment of the patients helped reduce more than twofold the disease incidence over 5 years even in highly endemic foci and permitted complete sanitation of the children.