Surveillance results of paragonimiasis infection in Hubei Province from 2021 to 2023
Objective To understand the current epidemic status of paragonimiasis in Hubei Province,thus providing a scientific evidence for planning relevant control strategies.Methods From 2021 to 2023,12 counties(cities,districts)in Hubei Province were chosen as the surveillance sites to carry out active surveillance.No less than 300 venous serum samples were collected from permanent residents over 6 years old in every surveillance site,and the Paragonimus antibodies of IgG and IgM in the serum were tested by ELISA(enzyme-linked immunosorbent adsorption test).Pathogenic tests were conducted after concentrating the sputa from the antibody-positive subjects.Freshwater crabs were caught in the small rivers and streams at the surveillance sites,and a stereo microscope was used to check the metacercariae infections after crushing and washing to gather the precipitates.All residents who provided serum samples were surveyed via questionnaire,which included basic information such as name,age,occupation,education degree,and so on,as well as the infection-related behaviors that could lead to paragonimiasis.Results From 2021 to 2023,a total of 3 670 serum samples were obtained from the population at 12 paragonimiasis surveillance sites,with 135 antibody-positive cases,resulting in an overall seropositive rate of 3.68%.No Paragonimus eggs were detected through sputum examination.The serum antibody positive rates differed significantly among the 12 monitoring sites(χ2=143.873,P<0.01).A total of 488 freshwater crabs were caught,with a metacercaria infection rate of 10.25%(50/488)and an average infection density of 4.74 metacercariae per positive crab,and the metacercariae carried by positive crab tissues was 0.25 per gram.Among them,Wufeng County had the highest positive rate of freshwater crabs,which reached up to 84.38%(27/32).The results of the questionnaire survey showed that the positive rates of males and females were 3.22%(60/1 864)and 4.15%(75/1 806),respectively,with no statistically significant difference(χ2=2.258,P>0.05).The population of Han nationality,the teenagers aged 6-<10 years old,and the people who took an occupation in the catering industry had a higher positive rate.Differences in seropositive rates were statistically significant among different ethnicities,age groups,and occupations(χ2=23.081,25.761,210.535,all P<0.01).There was no statistically significant difference in seropositive rates among people with different educational degrees(χ2=8.154,P>0.05).Among people who drank different water sources,those who drank stream water had the highest positive rate at 10.00%(15/150).The differences in seropositive rates among drinking water sources were statistically significant(χ2=31.978,P<0.01).There were statistically significant differences in seropositive rates between those who ate raw,semi-raw freshwater crab,crawfish and their products or not,drank raw water or not(χ2=10.059,11.891,both P<0.01).Conclusions The infection rate of freshwater crab which is considered as the second intermediate host of Paragonimus remains at a relatively high level in some areas of Hubei,and the risk of paragonimiasis transmission still exists.Continuous surveillance and control work should be carried out,meanwhile,and health education on paragonimiasis prevention should be strengthened in endemic areas.
Paragonimiasisnatural focusfreshwater crabserological assayHubei Province