Settlement characteristics and transmission of echinococcosis: a cross-sectional study in nomadic communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

Abstract Background Echinococcosis remains highly endemic in some nomadic communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, where alveolar echinococcosis (AE) and cystic echinococcosis (CE) exhibit notably high prevalence rates of 3.64% and 2.37%, respectively. Recent settlement expansion in the regi...

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Main Authors: Qian Wang, Yifei Wang, Zhaohui Luo, Sha Liao, Wenjie Yu, Guangjia Zhang, Liu Yang, Wei He, Zhongshuang Zhang, Diming Cai, Jun Liu, Guo Zhou, Yongzhong Li, Yan Huang, Ruirui Li, Qi Wang, Renxin Yao, Quzhen Gongsang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-06-01
Series:Infectious Diseases of Poverty
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-025-01316-6
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author Qian Wang
Yifei Wang
Zhaohui Luo
Sha Liao
Wenjie Yu
Guangjia Zhang
Liu Yang
Wei He
Zhongshuang Zhang
Diming Cai
Jun Liu
Guo Zhou
Yongzhong Li
Yan Huang
Ruirui Li
Qi Wang
Renxin Yao
Quzhen Gongsang
author_facet Qian Wang
Yifei Wang
Zhaohui Luo
Sha Liao
Wenjie Yu
Guangjia Zhang
Liu Yang
Wei He
Zhongshuang Zhang
Diming Cai
Jun Liu
Guo Zhou
Yongzhong Li
Yan Huang
Ruirui Li
Qi Wang
Renxin Yao
Quzhen Gongsang
author_sort Qian Wang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Echinococcosis remains highly endemic in some nomadic communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, where alveolar echinococcosis (AE) and cystic echinococcosis (CE) exhibit notably high prevalence rates of 3.64% and 2.37%, respectively. Recent settlement expansion in the region has raised concerns, as smaller, remote settlements often lacked waste disposal and sewage systems, potentially facilitating echinococcosis transmission. The aim of this study is to investigate how settlement characteristics influence echinococcosis transmission. Findings The study was conducted from 2022–2024 in nomadic communities of Shiqu County in China. The overall prevalence rate of echinococcosis in 51 settlements was found to be 2.34% (321/13,701; 95% CI: 2.10–2.61), which included a prevalence rate of 1.62% (222/13,701; 95% CI: 1.42–1.85) for AE and a prevalence rate of 0.72% (99/13,701; 95% CI: 0.59–0.88) for CE. The prevalence rate of AE was significantly (χ 2 = 49.57, P < 0.01) higher than that of CE. Settlements with a smaller population size (Z = -4.27, P < 0.01), a greater distance to the township center (Z = 2.66, P < 0.01) and a higher density of owned dogs (Z = 5.90, P < 0.01) were associated with higher prevalence rates of CE. These associations were also observed for AE prevalence, except for the density of owned dogs. Conclusions This study indicates that the transmission of AE was more active than that of CE in the nomadic communities. Smaller, remote settlements had higher prevalence rates for both CE and AE. The density of owned dogs was a significant risk factor for CE prevalence but not for AE prevalence. Targeted interventions are needed in these high-risk settlements. Future research should investigate how settlement characteristics interact with hygiene practices, the infection status of intermediate and definitive hosts, and their population dynamics to better understand combined effects on echinococcosis prevalence.
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spelling doaj-art-44566bc87e044fb6a49ebe523e017c822025-08-20T03:21:06ZengBMCInfectious Diseases of Poverty2049-99572025-06-011411710.1186/s40249-025-01316-6Settlement characteristics and transmission of echinococcosis: a cross-sectional study in nomadic communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, ChinaQian Wang0Yifei Wang1Zhaohui Luo2Sha Liao3Wenjie Yu4Guangjia Zhang5Liu Yang6Wei He7Zhongshuang Zhang8Diming Cai9Jun Liu10Guo Zhou11Yongzhong Li12Yan Huang13Ruirui Li14Qi Wang15Renxin Yao16Quzhen Gongsang17Sichuan Center for Disease Control and PreventionWest China Hospital of Sichuan UniversityTibet Center for Disease Control and PreventionSichuan Center for Disease Control and PreventionSichuan Center for Disease Control and PreventionSichuan Center for Disease Control and PreventionSichuan Center for Disease Control and PreventionSichuan Center for Disease Control and PreventionSichuan Center for Disease Control and PreventionWest China Hospital of Sichuan UniversitySichuan Provincial People’s HospitalSichuan Provincial People’s HospitalWest China Hospital of Sichuan UniversitySichuan Center for Disease Control and PreventionSichuan Center for Disease Control and PreventionSichuan Center for Disease Control and PreventionSichuan Center for Disease Control and PreventionTibet Center for Disease Control and PreventionAbstract Background Echinococcosis remains highly endemic in some nomadic communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, where alveolar echinococcosis (AE) and cystic echinococcosis (CE) exhibit notably high prevalence rates of 3.64% and 2.37%, respectively. Recent settlement expansion in the region has raised concerns, as smaller, remote settlements often lacked waste disposal and sewage systems, potentially facilitating echinococcosis transmission. The aim of this study is to investigate how settlement characteristics influence echinococcosis transmission. Findings The study was conducted from 2022–2024 in nomadic communities of Shiqu County in China. The overall prevalence rate of echinococcosis in 51 settlements was found to be 2.34% (321/13,701; 95% CI: 2.10–2.61), which included a prevalence rate of 1.62% (222/13,701; 95% CI: 1.42–1.85) for AE and a prevalence rate of 0.72% (99/13,701; 95% CI: 0.59–0.88) for CE. The prevalence rate of AE was significantly (χ 2 = 49.57, P < 0.01) higher than that of CE. Settlements with a smaller population size (Z = -4.27, P < 0.01), a greater distance to the township center (Z = 2.66, P < 0.01) and a higher density of owned dogs (Z = 5.90, P < 0.01) were associated with higher prevalence rates of CE. These associations were also observed for AE prevalence, except for the density of owned dogs. Conclusions This study indicates that the transmission of AE was more active than that of CE in the nomadic communities. Smaller, remote settlements had higher prevalence rates for both CE and AE. The density of owned dogs was a significant risk factor for CE prevalence but not for AE prevalence. Targeted interventions are needed in these high-risk settlements. Future research should investigate how settlement characteristics interact with hygiene practices, the infection status of intermediate and definitive hosts, and their population dynamics to better understand combined effects on echinococcosis prevalence.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-025-01316-6EchinococcosisCystic echinococcosisAlveolar echinococcosisSettlement characteristicsTransmissionNomadic community
spellingShingle Qian Wang
Yifei Wang
Zhaohui Luo
Sha Liao
Wenjie Yu
Guangjia Zhang
Liu Yang
Wei He
Zhongshuang Zhang
Diming Cai
Jun Liu
Guo Zhou
Yongzhong Li
Yan Huang
Ruirui Li
Qi Wang
Renxin Yao
Quzhen Gongsang
Settlement characteristics and transmission of echinococcosis: a cross-sectional study in nomadic communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China
Infectious Diseases of Poverty
Echinococcosis
Cystic echinococcosis
Alveolar echinococcosis
Settlement characteristics
Transmission
Nomadic community
title Settlement characteristics and transmission of echinococcosis: a cross-sectional study in nomadic communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China
title_full Settlement characteristics and transmission of echinococcosis: a cross-sectional study in nomadic communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China
title_fullStr Settlement characteristics and transmission of echinococcosis: a cross-sectional study in nomadic communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China
title_full_unstemmed Settlement characteristics and transmission of echinococcosis: a cross-sectional study in nomadic communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China
title_short Settlement characteristics and transmission of echinococcosis: a cross-sectional study in nomadic communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China
title_sort settlement characteristics and transmission of echinococcosis a cross sectional study in nomadic communities on the qinghai tibet plateau china
topic Echinococcosis
Cystic echinococcosis
Alveolar echinococcosis
Settlement characteristics
Transmission
Nomadic community
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-025-01316-6
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