Risk Factors and Spatial Clusters of Cryptosporidium Infection among School-Age Children in a Rural Region of Eastern China

Hao Zheng, Jianfeng He, Li Wang, Rong Zhang, Zhen Ding and Wenbiao Hu
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Hao Zheng: Department of Environmental Health, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210009, China
Jianfeng He: Department of Environmental Health, Jintan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changzhou 213200, China
Li Wang: National Center for Rural Water Supply Technical Guidance, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102200, China
Rong Zhang: National Center for Rural Water Supply Technical Guidance, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102200, China
Zhen Ding: Department of Environmental Health, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210009, China
Wenbiao Hu: School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4059, Australia

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-12

Abstract: The epidemiological features of Cryptosporidium infection among school-age children in China still remain unclear. Hereby, a cross-sectional study of 1637 children aged 3–9 years was designed to investigate the risk factors and spatial clusters of Cryptosporidium infection in a rural region of Eastern China. Stool specimens collected from participants were examined using the auramine-phenol and modified acid-fast staining. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify the risk factors of Cryptospordium infection. The spatial clusters were analyzed by a discrete Poisson model using SaTScan software. Our results showed that the overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection was 11‰ in the research region. At the age of 3–6 years (odds ratios (OR) = 3.072, 95% confidence intervals (CI) : 1.001–9.427), not washing hands before eating and after defecation (OR = 3.003, 95% CI: 1.060–8.511) were recognized as risk factors. Furthermore, a high-risk spatial cluster (relative risk = 4.220, p = 0.025) was identified. These findings call for effective sustainable interventions including family and school-based hygienic education to reduce the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection. Therefore, an early warning system based spatiotemporal models with risk factors is required to further improve the effectiveness and efficiency of cryptosporidiosis control in the future.

Keywords: Cryptosporidium; risk factors; spatial clusters; children; rural; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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