Surveillance of Enterobius vermicularis infections among children in Shandong Province from 2016 to 2020 / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the prevalence and changing trend of Enterobius vermicularis infections among children in Shandong Province, so as to provide the scientific evidence for the adjustment and development of the enterobiasis control strategy. Methods Soil-borne nematodiasis surveillance sites were assigned in 51 counties (districts, cities) in Shandong Province from 2016 to 2020, and the E. vermicularis infections were detected using a modified Kato-Katz technique and the cellophane tape method among children at ages of 3 to 9 years living in these surveillance sites. The epidemiological profiles of E. vermicularis-infected children were descriptively analyzed. Results A total of 5 060 children at ages of 3 to 9 years were detected in 51 soil-borne nematodiasis surveillance sites in Shandong Province from 2016 to 2020, and the overall prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was 2.23%. The annual prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was 3.99% (26/651), 1.70% (14/824), 0.96% (8/837), 2.90% (45/1 552) and 1.67% (20/1 196) from 2016 to 2020, respectively, with a significant difference detected among years ( χ2 = 21.455, P < 0.01). The prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was 1.25% (15/1 198), 1.85% (14/755), 3.18% (84/2 640) and 0 (0/467) among children from central, eastern, southern and northern Shandong Province (χ2 = 27.326, P < 0.01). In addition, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of E. vermicularis infections between male (1.98%, 56/2 831) and female children (2.56%, 57/2 229) (χ2 = 1.916, P > 0.05); however, there was age-specific prevalence of E. vermicularis infections among children (χ2 = 16.448, P < 0.05), with the greatest prevalence detected among children at ages of 6 years (3.18%, 25/786), and the lowest prevalence seen among children at ages of 3 years (0.75%, 6/800). Conclusions The prevalence of E. vermicularis infections remained at a medium level among children at ages of 3 to 9 years in Shandong Province from 2016 to 2020, with region-specific prevalence found across the province. An integrated strategy is required for enterobiasis control.