[Research of water contact and labor practice of residents in plateau mountain schistosomiasis endemic areas in Yunnan Province].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To understand the status of water contact and labor practice of residents in plateau mountain schisto- somiasis endemic areas in Yunnan Province, so as to provide the evidence for formulating the strategy of prevention and control of schistosomiasis in the next step of work. METHODS: A total of 412 residents aged 6-65 years old in 2 villages were randomly sampled and investigated with questionnaires for their water contacts and labor practices in plateau valley schistosomiasis endem- ic areas. Then the schistosome infection status of the residents was surveyed with the indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA). RE- SULTS Among the 412 residents investigated, the rate of water contact was 88.35%, and the main causes of water contact were watering, and swimming and playing. The percentages of residents who had schistosomiasis history were 1.16%, 0.00%, 30.80%, 3.85%, and 0 in them who had swimming and playing water-contacts, bathing, watering, washing hands, and others, respectively (χ2 = 38.96, P < 0.01). The positives of IHA in the above-mentioned residents were 18.60%, 0.00%, 37.60%, 23.08%, and 0, respectively (χ2 = 12.61, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The productive infested water contact is the main way of schistosome infection. Therefore, the changes of labor practices and water contact of the residents are very important for the ef- fective prevention and control of schistosomiasis transmission.