Hydatid disease imposing serious threat on human health and great loss in livenotstock pastoralism remains a major public health problem in western China. To assess and monitor the effect of control program on transmission dynamics, we used the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in slaughtered sheep at slaughterhouse as an indicator during the period of 2007 to 2013 in Emin County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. The results showed a significant decline trend of prevalence in all age groups during the 7 years when the control program was implemented; particularly, the rate was reduced by 72% after first 3 years. Among the sheep slaughtered, the age distribution evidenced that the prevalence increased significantly as the sheep grew older. The baseline data indicated that the rate was 4.5% at the age <1, 6.7% at age 2~, and reached to the highest 17.9% at age > or =4 years. Earlier response to the intervention pressure was seen in the sheep at the younger age. Significant decline started from 2008 at the age <1, from 2009 at age of 1~, 2010 at 2~ to 3~, and the latest, in 2012 at age > or =4. This study demonstrated that the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in slaughtered sheep may be used as an indicator to assess and monitor the transmission status during and after control program providing information for betterment of performance to sustain control strength.
Abattoirs/statistics & numerical data ; Animals ; China/epidemiology ; Echinococcosis/epidemiology/parasitology/prevention & control/*veterinary ; Female ; Male ; Prevalence ; Sheep ; Sheep Diseases/epidemiology/parasitology/*prevention & control

Alveolar echinococcosis is one of the most important lethal zoonotic helminth infections in the northern hemisphere. Currently, the threat to public health is increasing, as evidenced by the rising prevalence rate of alveolar echinococcosis, as well as the invasion of urban areas by infected wild foxes. This threat is further increased due to the involvement of pet dogs, and probably cats, as emerging sources of infection. These increased threats to public health also have associated economic risks; therefore, there is a need for effective and sustainable methods of control. In this paper, initiatives to control alveolar echinococcosis by targeting its definitive hosts through anthelmintic baiting campaigns initiated by local residents who used local resources for bait production, distribution and collection of fecal samples for diagnosis are described. Further, when such distribution programs are coupled with the use of GIS-based maps, the optimum distribution of bait was obtained. These programs have also included the use of intravital diagnostic analyses of infection rates, which have been overseen by the Forum on Environment and Animals (FEA), and also allowed a nationwide monitoring of echinococcosis in difinitive hosts. In addition, a government initiative requiring mandatory reporting of echinococcosis in dogs to health authorities was recently initiated in Japan. Overall, the results of this study have shown that use of collaborative control initiatives targeting zoonotic agents of alveolar echinococcosis can be an effective method for reducing the threat of lethal echinococcosis in the northern hemisphere.
Animals ; Anthelmintics/economics/therapeutic use ; Echinococcosis, Hepatic/drug therapy/epidemiology/*parasitology/*prevention & control ; Echinococcus/*physiology ; Government Programs ; Humans ; Public Health/methods ; *Zoonoses/epidemiology/parasitology

Hepatic echinococcosis, also called echinococcosis, is a health-threatening disease commonly found in pasture, and belongs to parasitic zoonoses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and the risk factors of echinococcosis in Qinghai province in order to provide fundamental data for prevention and control of echinococcosis in Qinghai province. A total of 23 445 people from 21 counties were enrolled in this study by multi-stage stratified random sampling. Echinococcosis was diagnosed by using B-mode ultrasonography and serological tests. The results showed that the prevalence of echinococcosis was 4.47% (95%CI: 4.21%-4.73%) and serum positive rate (seroprevalence) was 15.47% (95%CI: 14.92%-16.02%) in 2010. The distribution of echinococcosis differed in age, sex, ethnicity, occupation and regions in Qinghai (P<0.05). GLMM analysis revealed that gender (female vs. male), ethnicity (Tibetan vs. other ethnicities), profession (herders vs. other professions) and region (autonomous prefectures vs. cities) were significant risk factors for echinococcosis (P<0.05). It was concluded that the prevalence of echinococcosis in 2010 was about 4% in Qinghai province, and the distribution of echinococcosis in Qinghai was associated with age, sex, ethnicity and profession.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth ; blood ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Echinococcosis, Hepatic ; diagnostic imaging ; epidemiology ; parasitology ; Echinococcus ; immunology ; physiology ; Epidemics ; prevention & control ; Female ; Host-Parasite Interactions ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupations ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Sex Factors ; Ultrasonography ; Young Adult