Epidemiology and eradication of Schistosomiasis japonica in Japan

Schistosomiasis japonica caused by Schistosoma japonicum, owes its name to the historical work of Japanese scientists during the period of 1904 to 1913. The disease is currently endemic in China and in the Philippines. It was highly endemic in three regions of Japan, but has been declared eradicated as of 1996. This paper presents epidemiologic data about when the disease was actively transmitted in Japan and how the disease was eradicated, and reviews evidence that fresh water even in the most heavily snail-infested areas is now safe from the disease. Information on epidemiology was obtained from Nation's Health published by the Japan Public Health Society. Similar information on numbers of fatal cases was obtained from the annual publication Morbidity and Mortality Record of the Ministry of Health of Japan.