Response of primary vectors and related diseases to impoundment by the Three Gorges Dam. Issue 4 (April 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Xu; Peng, Liangbin; Liu, Wendong; Fan, Lirui; Zhang, Qi; Chen, Guangjie; He, Pan; Wu, Ruixiao; Liu, Anping; Yang, Yexun; Yu, Xiaogai; Yun, Luojia
• Is Part Of: Tropical medicine & international health. Volume 19:Issue 4(2014:Apr.)
• Page Start: 440
• Page End: 449
• Publication Date: 2014-04
• Subjects: Tropical medicine -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 616.988
• DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12272
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-2276

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="tmi12272-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="tmi12272-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objectives</title> <p>To investigate the impact of the Three Gorges Dam on the local ecological environment. We conducted a 3‐year cross‐sectional survey of natural focus infectious diseases in the area before and after the water level rose to 156 m to evaluate the dam's health impacts.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12272-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Direct and indirect immunofluorescence methods were applied to detect rat antigen and antibody of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Fresh rat kidneys were inoculated in Korth's culture medium to detect <italic>Leptospira</italic>. A group of captured crabs were ground to observe the metacercariae of <italic>Paragonimus</italic>. Serum samples were collected from healthy local individuals. ELISA kits were used to detect human antibody against HFRS and paragonimiasis. Human <italic>Leptospira</italic> infections were detected by a microscopic agglutination test.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12272-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Upstream rodent density increased significantly with <italic>Rattus flavipectus</italic> and <italic>Apodemus agrarius</italic> as the major pathophoric genera. The infection rate of human HFRS and <italic>Leptospira</italic> in the upstream human population samples was significantly higher than in the downstream samples and correlated with the increase in rodent density. <italic>Paragonimus</italic> infection rates remained at a low level during the study. <italic>Culex pipiens fatigan</italic> and <italic>Armigeres obturbans</italic> were the dominant species of mosquito.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12272-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>The creation of the Three Gorges Dam changed the proliferation of intermediary agents of diseases, but not notably. However, the ecological effects on the environment may require a prolonged period of time to manifest themselves; thus, long‐term and effective surveillance of vectors and related diseases needs to be established.</p> </sec> </abstract>