OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of schistosomiasis control by forbidding livestock denaturing on marshland with Oncomelania snails and to analyse its influencing factors.

METHODSThe village of Aiguo, Xinhe, Huangjia, Fanrong, Fengfu and Caomen and its respective nearby marshland, i.e., Aiguoniu, Liulingwei, Huangjianiu, Da, Goulian, and Litouzui, in Jinxian county, Jiangxi province were selected as the pilot areas for implementing the measures of forbidding livestock denaturing on the marshlands with Oncomelania snails during the period of the year 2005 to 2007. A total of 300 residents in each village were randomly chosen for stool examination with the Kato-Katz technique every year. The snail survey was carried out in spring and autumn every year on the marshlands close to the villages with systemic sampling method. The marshlands with a height 16.5 m above the sea level in Futian was selected for snail survey and planting with sesame. The residents aged 20 - 50 years old in Fengfu and Aiguo villages were studied by using questionnaire on the compliance of forbidding livestock pasturing on marshlands with Oncomelania snails.

RESULTSBefore implementation of the measures, human infection rate with Schistosoma japonicum was 11.35% (90/793) in Aiguo, 4.00% (12/300) in Xinhe, 4.00% (6/150) in Huangjia, 8.00% (12/150) in Fanrong, 3.17% (4/126) in Fengfu and 6.64% (14/211) in Caomen. After implementation in 2008, human schistsome infection rate in the aforementioned 6 villages was declined to 0.18% (1/551), 0.00% (0/348), 0.00% (0/316), 2.27% (7/308), 1.17% (5/428) and 1.16% (5/430), respectively. Only in Fengfu village the decline of the human prevalence was not significant (χ(2) = 2.4, P = 0.12), while in the other 5 villages, human prevalence rate had been declined significantly (χ(2) = 126.77, P < 0.01; χ(2) = 16.31, P < 0.01; χ(2) = 18.79, P < 0.01; χ(2) = 10.39, P < 0.01; χ(2) = 14.17, P < 0.01, respectively). Infected snails were not found in 5 out of the 6 marshlands close to the villages. Three infected snails were founded in Da marshland because of poor environmental isolation. Before planting, the living snail density was 0.063/0.11 m(2) (34/540), and after planting, the living snail density was 0.0074/0.11 m(2) (4/538), a 88.25% reduction (Z = 12.47, P < 0.01) was recorded through economy crop planting at Futiandaan marshland in 2008. A total of 986 pieces of questionnaire were provided, and 968 valid ones were collected. The results of questionnaire indicate that compliance of forbidding livestock denaturing on marshland with Oncomelania snails in Aiguo and Fengfu villages was 84.38% (216/256) and 75.42% (537/712), respectively. Using logistic regression model, knowledge level on harmfulness of livestock denaturing on marshland with Oncomelania snails, willingness of culture with machine to substitute traditional cattle culture, and willingness of investment to marshland culture development are 3 varieties that affect residents' implementation of forbidding livestock denaturing on marshland with Oncomelania snails.

CONCLUSIONThe infected snail density and human schistosome infection rate were reduced on the marshlands of well environmental isolation after 2 - 3 years implementation of forbidding livestock denaturing on marshlands with Oncomelania snails. The key influencing factors of forbidding livestock denaturing on marshland with Oncomelania snails are knowledge level on harmfulness of livestock denaturing on the snail infested marshlands, the willingness of machine culture to substitute cattle culture, and the willingness of investment to marshland culture development.