Analysis of leptospirosis surveillance results in Jiangxi Province in 2005

Objective This study was designed to get an insight into the epidemic situation of leptospirosis in Jiangxi Province for the provision of a scientific basis for predicting and warning the epidemic tendency of leptospirosis and working out countermeasures for the prevention and control of the epidemic. Methods The data on the epidemic situation of leptospirosis in Jiangxi Province in 2005 were analyzed. Leptospira was isolated from host animal and cultured. The microscopic agglutination test was used to determine the titters of antibody against leptospira among healthy population. Results There occurred 87 cases of leptospirosis across the province in 2005 with an incidence of 0.20/lakh. The peak time of onset of the disease was from July to August, with farmers most often affected. Those who were in the age group of 30 to 49 were affected most with a ratio of male to female of 3 to 1. It was found that the rat density was 4.61% in the province. Eight leptospira strains, which were all pathogenic, were obtained from rat kidney culture collections with a positive rate of 7.55%. No leptospira strains were found in the culture collections of pig kidneys and cow urine. Among healthy people, cases with positive antibody of serogroup icterohaemorrhagiae serovar lai were most, and the next was serogroup hebdomadis serovar hebdomadis. Conclusion The main infection source of leptospirosis in Jiangxi Province is vole as a host. Rice field leptospirosis is the main epidemic pattern. In future, the most important work to prevent and cure of the leptospirosis are exterminating rat, reconstructing epidemic focus, making the environment sanitation better, carrying out the health education and inoculating the leptospira vaccine. Emphasis is supposed to be put on the comprehensive measures for the prevention and control of the epidemic, including the improvement of environmental sanitation, the implementation of health education and the leptospira vaccination, with the deratization as the major means.