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Table 1 Key characteristics of parasitic diseases of poverty in China

From: Major parasitic diseases of poverty in mainland China: perspectives for better control

Disease

Parasite

Definitive host

Intermediate host

Factors relating to infectiona

Clinical manifestations

DALYsb (thousands)

Vector-borne diseases

 

Malaria [10–13]

Plasmodium spp.

Humans and other animals

Mosquito

Children, pregnant women, humble house, lack of bed nets, immigrants from epidemic regions, occupation dependent exposure to mosquitoes

Fever, headache, shock, jaundice, abnormal bleeding, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, anemia, hepatosplenomegaly

82 685

Leishmaniasis [26–28]

Leishmania spp.

Humans and other mammals

Sandfly

Children, the older, males, dog ownership, herdsman, humble house, sleeping outside, occupation dependent exposure to sandfly

CL: Skin papules, plaque, ulcer and nodular prurigo

ML: Edema and erythema on nose, nasal stuffiness or bleeding, mucosal lesions

VL: Fever, weight loss, anemia, hepatosplenomegaly

3 317

Lymphatic filariasis [31–33]

Wuchereria bancrofti

Brugia malayi

Brugia timori

Humans

Mosquito

Humble house, lack of bed nets, occupation dependent exposure to mosquitoes

Lymphangitis, lymphnoditis,

lymphoedema, elephantedema hydrocele, chyluria

2 775

Snail-borne diseases

 

Schistosomiasis [35–37]

Schistosoma spp.

Humans and other mammals

Oncomelania hupensis

Males, high frequency of water contact, occupation dependent exposure to snails, snails related practices

Fever, headache, abdominal pain, hematuria, anemia, bloody stool, hepatosplenomegaly, colonic tumoroid proliferation, ascites, hydronephrosis, dwarfism, megalosplenia

3 309

Clonorchiasis [42–44]

Clonorchis sinensis

Humans and other mammals

Water snails, fish and shrimps

Males, the older, high frequency of eating of raw or undercooked freshwater fish

Inappetence, abdominal pain, gallstone, jaundice, anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, pyogenic cholangitis, cholecystitis

275

Paragonimiasis [54]

Paragonimus spp.

Humans, cats, dogs and other carnivores

Water snails and crustaceans

Children, high frequency of eating of raw or undercooked freshwater crabs

Chronic cough, chest pain, hemoptysis, pleurisy, dyspnea,

abdominal pain, epilepsy

197

Fascioliasis [57–59]

Fasciola gigantica

Fasciola hepatica

Humans and other mammals

Water snails

Children, females, high frequency of eating of raw vegetables or untreated water and contact with ruminants

Fever, anemia, hepatic lesions and fibrosis, hepatomegaly, jaundice, cholangitis, cholecystitis

35

Soil-transmitted helminthiasis

 

Ascariasis

Ascaris lumbricoides

Humans

-

Ascariasis and trichuriasis: school-aged children

Hookworm: the older and farmers

Inappetence, undernutrition, abdominal pain, diarrhea, anemia, growth and cognitive deficits

1 315

Trichuriasis

Trichuris trichiura

Humans

-

638

Hookworm [63–66]

Ancylostoma duodenale Necator americanus

Humans

-

3 231

Enterobiasis [66, 70, 72]

Enterobius vermicularis

Humans

-

School-aged children, crowded

Inappetence, restlessness, perianal pruritus and discomfort, insomnia, irritability, growth and cognitive deficits

-

Zoonotic diseases

 

Taeniasis/Cysticercosis [73, 74, 76]

Taenia solium

Taenia saginata Taenia asiatica

Humans

Humans, pig and cattle

Pigs related practices, high frequency of eating of raw pork

Headaches, ocular disorders, epilepsy, seizure, neurological symptoms

503

Echinococcosis [77–80, 84–86]

Echinococcus granulosus

Echinococcus multilocularis

Dogs and wild canids

Humans and other animals

Females, the older, herdsmen slaughter and viscera disposal practices, dog related practices

AE: Tumour-like multi-vesicular

CE: Unilocular fluid-filled bladders

144

Water-borne diseases

 

Cryptosporidiosis [88–90]

Cryptosporidium spp.

Humans and other animals

-

Children, immunocompromised individuals, poor water treatment

Diarrhea, growth deficits, malnutrition, weight loss

8 372

Giardiasis [95]

Giardia spp.

Humans and other animals

-

Children, poor water treatment

Diarrhea, malnutrition, growth deficits, weight loss

-

Toxoplasmosis [98–101]

Toxoplasma gondii

Felids

Humans and other animals

The older, cancer patients,

immunocompromised individuals,

cat related practices

Blindness, mental deficiency, encephalitis, stillbirths, abortion

-

Outbreak parasitic diseases

     

Angiostrongyliasis [104–107]

Angiostrongylus cantonensis

Rats

Snails and slugs

High frequency of eating of raw or undercooked snails

Eosinophilic meningitis,

headache, somnolence,

ocular angiostrongyliasis

-

  1. aPoverty, poor sanitation and inadequate hygiene and poor knowledge of, attitudes towards and practice relating to parasites are also the predisposing factors to these diseases. bSource: WHO, Global Burden of Diseases 2010 [42, 130]