Elimination of Schistosomiasis Japonica in China: From the One Health Perspective

Abstract

Schistosomiasis japonica is caused by infection of Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum), which infected 12 million residents in the 1950s in China and was a heavy burden to public health and socioeconomic development (1). After more than seven decades of effort to control schistosomiasis, the prevalence of schistosomiasis has been reduced dramatically in China. Among the 450 endemic counties (including city and district-level jurisdictions), 74.89% (337/450), 21.87% (98/450), and 3.33% (15/450) have achieved the criteria of elimination, transmission interruption, and transmission control of schistosomiasis, respectively. As the overall endemic status of schistosomiasis remains at a low level, the strategies shifted from snail control to morbidity control and then to an integrated strategy that emphasized infection source control. However, being a vector-borne and zoonotic disease, schistosomiasis japonica is intricately linked to multiple factors including biological, natural, and socioeconomic risk factors. In order to eliminate schistosomiasis earlier and more thoroughly, the One Health approach should be adopted, which focuses on solving complex health problems from a macro-level perspective of interactions among human, animal, and environment, emphasizing multi-institution, interdisciplinary, and cross-regional collaboration and communication.