Objective To understand the ambient PM2.5 component and the toxicity to primary cultured myocardial cells of neonatal rats. Methods Primary myocardial cells cultures were prepared from 1-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats and treated with PM2.5 suspension and its organic and water-soluble extracts at various concentrations for 24 h. The cellular viability was measured with MTT methods, and the beat of myocardial cells was observed and counted under inverted microscope. Results PM2.5 suspension and its organic and water-soluble extracts increased the viability of myocardial cells at the concentrations below 10.0 ?g/ml, but above this, they could significantly decrease the viability of myocardial cells with a dose-dependent manner. The toxicity of organic extract of PM2.5 was significantly higher than that of water-soluble extract. PM2.5 suspension and its organic and water-soluble extracts also dose-dependently inhibited the beat frequencies of myocardial cells. Conclusion PM2.5 and its extracts show a hormesis effect on the cultured myocardial cells in the case of the cellular viability is taken as the response parameter. PM2.5 and its extracts can inhibit the beat of myocardial cells.

Objective To identify the problem in the diagnosis and report of different types of malaria in China and provide evidence for making malaria control and elimination strategy and measurement. Methods All data are obtained from Disease Reporting Information System of China CDC, and the percentages, diagnosis methods and onset-diagnosis duration are described and compared among different malaria types and various report institutions. Results The overall number of reported cases declined by 71.77% during 2005-2008, with a relatively high percent for type-unconfirmed malaria. The percentages of laboratory diagnosis for falciparum malaria and vivax malaria were 91.44% and 71.14%, respectively. 28.22% of vivax malaria were diagnosed by using clinical diagnosis method, and 22.45% of type-unconfirmed malaria by using laboratory diagnosis method. 37.54% of falciparum malaria and 71.79% of vivax malaria were reported by hospitals in villages and towns, and 33.41% of falciparum malaria by general hospitals. The onset-diagnosis durations for falciparum malaria, vivax malaria and type-unconfirmed malaria were 72 h, 96 h and 72 h, respectively. Conclusions The laboratory diagnosis level is not good enough, though it is the main method for malaria diagnosis in China. The ability of laboratory diagnosis for malaria should be further strengthened in gross root medical institutions to reach the goal of malaria elimination.

Objective To analyze the epidemiologic features of visceral leishmaniasis in different age groups in China from 2005 to 2012,and to provide a scientific basis for prevention and treatment of the disease.Methods The visceral leishmaniasis cases were obtained from China disease epidemic monitoring information system from 2005 to 2012.All the cases were divided into subgroups by demographic characteristics:infant (＜1 year old),childcare (≥1 and ＜4 years old),child (≥4 and ＜15 years old),adult (≥15 and ＜65 years old) and senior adult (above 65 years old).The epidemiologic features,such as gender,season of disease onset and area distribution of visceral leishmaniasis were analyzed.Results The total reported visceral leishmaniasis from 2005 to 2012 were 2 979,among which cases in infant,childcare,child,adult and senior adult were 24.9％,21.7％,20.0％,32.4％ and 1.0％,respectively.Infant cases were most reported in April; childcare cases in December which began to increase since September; child cases in October and adult and senior adult in March.The reported cases were mainly from Xinjiang,Gansu and Sichuan areas.However,age characteristics differed among regions,which were mainly infants,both childcare and children,and adults,respectively in this three areas.The duration from onset to diagnosis was shortest in infant group (11 d) and longer in adult group (15 d).Conclusions The number of visceral leishmaniasis cases in different age groups peaks in different months.Regional distribution is not even.Cases are most concentrated in Xinjiang,Gansu and Sichuan areas.Infants predominate in Xinjiang,childcare and children in Gansu and adults in Sichuan.

Objective To explore the epidemiological characteristics of Kala-azar disease in China from 2005 to 2015,to provide evidence for the development of related control and measurement strategies.Methods Data was obtained from Disease Reporting Information System of China CDC,to compare factors on type,distribution,peak season and the age of onset of the cases.Results Epidemic of Kala-azar had been persistent in China.Number of the reported cases declined in Sichuan and Gansu provinces but two outbreaks had occurred in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.The epidemic was confined in few areas.The reported cases were mainly from Xinjiang,Gansu and Sichuan,with the total cases in these three provinces accounted for 95.29％ of all the cases seen in the country.The main peak season was from October to November,followed by April.There were significant differences seen in the age distributions of canine Kala-azar,anthroponotic Kala-azar and wildlife-oriented Kala-azar (P＜0.05) cases.Majority of the cases involved under 3-year-olds,with peak age in under 1-year-olds for wildlife-oriented Kala-azar.For anthroponotic and canine Kala-azar cases,most of them were seen among the under 10 years old,with the peak among the 5-year-olds.Conclusions In recent years,Kala-azar had been seen endemic and persistent,in the mid-west regions of China,but with different epidemiological characteristics.Further study on Kala-azar should be carried on to include appropriate measurements and strategies,according to the features of the disease,in the mid-western areas of China.

According to the requirement of the national assessment for achieving the infection control criteria, 42 villages (among them,25 villages belonged to the first stratum, and 17 villages belonged to the second stratum) in 14 counties from 5 provinces, including Hunnan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui and Yunnan, were selected as sampling villages for the assessment.The results from the field assessment showed that 154 out of 9 067 people were found infected with Sckistosoma japonicum, with an average infection rate of 1.7% ranged from 0.31 % to 4.10% , and only Yongping Village from Weishan County and Tenglong Village from Eryuan County were not found any case. A total of 46 out of 3 323 head of cattle were infected with S. japonicum, with an average infection rate of 1.38% ranged from 0.26% to 3.79% , and no any infected individual detected in Nanling County. No outbreak occurred in those sampling villages. Therefore, it is indicated that the five sampling provinces have reached the national criteria on infection control of schistosomiasis.

Patients with radioactive enteritis generally have certain intestinal microecological imbalance. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has showed good advantage in regulating intestinal microbial flora. In clinical practice, patients are treated based on syndrome differentiation of heat toxin damaging collaterals, cold-heat mixed syndrome, spleen deficiency and dampness stagnation, spleen and kidney yang deficiency, yin deficiency and body fluid deficiency. The Baitouweng Decoction, Wumei Pill, Sijunzi Decoction are the common prescriptions. TCM can promote the balance of intestinal microecology and treat digestive diseases such as radioactive enteritis, by improving the abundance of intestinal flora, inhibiting the level of inflammatory cytokines, and playing the role of probiotics and immune regulation.

Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by viscerotropic Leishmania species and transmitted by bites of infected phlebotomine sandflies, which is predominantly prevalent in the Indian subcontinent, eastern Africa and South America. Currently, visceral leishmaniasis is the second most fatal parasitic disease in the world. Because of climate changes, urban development and individual conditions, there are changes in the density of visceral leishmaniasis vector sandflies and the likelihood of contact with humans, resulting in a visceral leishmaniasis transmission risk. The review summarizes natural, social and biological factors affecting the transmission of visceral leishmaniasis, so as to provide insights into formulation of targeted control measures for visceral leishmaniasis.

Objective: To understand the characteristics and changes of the incidence of amoebic dysentery in China during 2015-2018, explore the causes of high incidence in some areas and provide a data base for the development of national prevention and control strategies and measures. Methods: Data were collected from the infectious disease reporting management information system from Chinese Disease Control and Prevention. To understand the seasonal, population and area distributions of amoebic dysentery, descriptive epidemiological method and software SPSS 16.0 were used to analyze the amoebic dysentery data. Results: A total of 4 366 amoebic dysentery cases were reported without death in China during 2015-2018. The reported average annual incidence was 0.08/100 000, and the overall proportion of laboratory confirmed cases was 68.23%(2 979/4 366). Amoeba dysentery mainly occurred during May to October. One seasonal peak was observed in 2015 and 2017 (July and June, respectively), and two seasonal peaks were observed in 2016 and 2018 (June and October). The patients were mainly children aged under 5 years (42.28%, 1 846/4 366), and the incidence rate decreased with age in children aged under 10 years. Of these, children under 1 years of age had the highest incidence rate (1.28/100 000). The number of cumulative reported cases in Guangxi, Henan, Guangdong, Heilongjiang and Jiangxi provinces ranked top five from 2015-2018, accounting for 64.50% (2 816/4 366) of the total. The cumulative cases in Dongxing county, Guangxi, in Suixian county, Henan and in Ranghulu district, Heilongjiang, respectively accounted for more than 50.00% of the total number of cases in their provinces. Conclusions The incidence rate of amoebic dysentery reported in China during 2015-2018 showed a decreasing trend, with a higher incidence in children under 5 years old and a higher number of cases in some areas. It is suggested to further investigate and analyze the diagnosis and reporting of amoeba dysentery in key areas and promote the update of the diagnostic standards for amoeba dysentery.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of leptospirosis in China from 2010 to 2022, so as to provide insights into formulation of the leptospirosis control strategy. Methods All data pertaining to clinically diagnosed cases and confirmed cases of leptospirosis reported in China from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2022 was collected from Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information Management System. The spatial, temporal and population distributions, and report and diagnosis institutions of leptospirosis cases were analyzed using a descriptive epidemiological method. Results A total of 4 559 leptospirosis cases were reported in China from 2010 to 2022, with an annual average number of 351 cases, and the number of reported leptospirosis cases reduced from 679 cases in 2010 to 158 cases in 2018. A total of 4 276 leptospirosis cases were reported in Sichuan Province, Yunnan Province, Guangdong Province, Hunan Province, Fujian Province, Zhejiang Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Anhui Province, Jiangxi Province and Guizhou Province, accounting for 93.79% of the total number of leptospirosis cases in China. The number of leptospirosis cases had recently appeared a remarkable decline in Yunnan Province, while a significant rise was seen in the number of leptospirosis cases in two provinces of Zhejiang and Guangdong. No leptospirosis cases were reported in Henan Province from 2010 to 2020; however, there were 5 cases and 2 cases reported in 2021 and 2022, respectively. There was only one leptospirosis case reported in Shaanxi Province from 2010 to 2017; however, leptospirosis cases were reported in the province for 5 consecutive years since 2018. Leptospirosis cases were reported throughout the year in China from 2010 to 2022, with the peak of incidence found during the period between August and October, and the peak of leptospirosis incidence varied in provinces. A higher number of leptospirosis cases was seen among men than among women, with a male to female ratio of 2.3:1, and the median age of leptospirosis cases was 50 years (interquartile range, 23 years), with the highest proportion of leptospirosis cases reported at ages of 51 to 60 years (23.21%). Among all reported leptospirosis cases, 53.28% were confirmed cases, and the proportion of confirmed cases increased from 35.05% in 2010 to 61.66% in 2022. In addition, there were 67.22% of leptospirosis cases (2 937 cases) reported by comprehensive hospitals, 20.44% (893 cases) by disease control and prevention institutions, 7.23% (316 cases) by grassroots healthcare institutions and 5.10% (223 cases) by other healthcare and medical institutions, and the mortality of reported leptospirosis cases was 1.07% in China from 2010 to 2022, with a higher mortality seen among men than among women (1.39% vs. 0.36%; χ² = 9.52, P = 0.002). Conclusions The incidence of leptospirosis remained at a low level in China from 2010 to 2022, and southern China was still the main endemic area for leptospirosis. The epidemiological characteristics of leptospirosis cases varied in endemic provinces, and leptospirosis cases had been continued to be reported in Shaanxi and Henan provinces, which should be paid much attention to. Intensified surveillance of leptospirosis, improved diagnosis and treatment capability of leptospirosis cases and leptospirosis control with adaptations to local circumstance are recommended.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of constructing the risk index of Echinococcus infection based on the classification of echinococcosis lesions, so as to provide insights into the management of echinococcosis. Methods The imaging data of echinococcosis cases were collected from epidemiological surveys of echinococcosis in China from 2012 to 2016, and the detection of incident echinococcosis cases was captured from the annual echinococcosis prevention and control reports across provinces (autonomous regions) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in China from 2017 to 2022. After echinococcosis lesions were classified, a risk index of Echinococcus infection was constructed based on the principle of discrete distribution marginal probability and multi-group classification data tests. The correlation between the risk index of Echinococcus infection and the detection of incident echinococcosis cases was evaluated in the provinces (autonomous regions and corps) from 2017 to 2022, and the correlations between the short and medium-term risk indices and between the medium and long-term risk indices of Echinococcus infection were examined using a univariate linear regression model. Results A total of 4 014 echinococcosis cases in China from 2012 to 2016 were included in this study. The short-, medium- and long-term risk indices of E. granulosus infection varied in echinococcosis-endemic provinces (autonomous regions and corps) of China (χ² = 4.12 to 708.65, all P values < 0.05), with high short- (0.058), medium- (0.137) and long-term risk indices (0.104) in Tibet Autonomous Region, and the short-, medium- and long-term risk indices of E. multilocularis infection varied in echinococcosis-endemic provinces (autonomous regions and corps) of China (χ² = 6.74 to 122.60, all P values < 0.05), with a high short-term risk index in Sichuan Province (0.016) and high medium- (0.009) and long-term risk indices in Qinghai Province (0.018). There were no significant correlations between the risk index of E. granulosus infection and the detection of incident cystic echinococcosis cases during the study period (t = −0.518 to 2.265, all P values > 0.05), and strong correlations were found between the risk indices of E. multilocularis infection and the detection of incident alveolar echinococcosis cases (including mixed type) in 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, during the period from 2017 through 2020, from 2017 through 2021, from 2017 through 2022 (all r values > 0.7, t = 2.521 to 3.692, all P values < 0.05). Linear regression models were established between the risk index of E. multilocular infection and the detection of alveolar echinococcosis cases (including mixed type), and the models were all statistically significant (b = 0.214 to 2.168, t = 2.458 to 3.692, F = 6.044 to 13.629, all P values < 0.05). The regression coefficients for the correlations between the medium- and short-term, and between the long- and medium-term risk indices of E. granulosus infection were 2.339 and 0.765, and the regression coefficients for the correlations between the medium- and short-term, and between the long- and medium-term risk indices of E. multilocular infection were 0.280 and 1.842, with statistical significance seen in both the regression coefficients and regression models (t = 16.479 to 197.304, F = 271.570 to 38 928.860, all P values < 0.05). Conclusions The risk index of Echinococcus infection has been successfully established based on the classification of echinococcosis lesions, which may provide insights into the prevention and control, prediction, diagnosis and treatment, and classified management of echinococcosis.