Epidemiological analysis of malaria prevalence in Jiangsu Province in 2010

Objective: To analyze malaria prevalence and epidemic characteristics in Jiangsu Province in 2010, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the development of effective malaria elimination strategies and measures. Methods: The reported malaria cases from the Internet reporting system and epidemiological data of malaria in Jiangsu Province were analyzed statistically. Results: A total of 386 malaria cases were reported in Jiangsu Province in 2010 with the incidence of 0.05/10 000 which was similar to that in 2009. There were 100 cases of local vivax malaria, which decreased by 47.92% compared to 192 cases in 2009. The majority (75/100) of local vivax malaria distributed in Xuzhou, Huai'an and Suqian cities which were all located along the Huai River. There were 286 imported cases including 207 imported falciparum malaria cases which increased by 104.95% comparing to 101 cases in 2009. The imported falciparum cases mainly distributed in Nantong, Taizhou, Yangzhou, Huai'an, Yancheng and Lianyungang cities which were located in central Jiangsu and coastal areas of northern Jiangsu. Among the 286 imported cases, 38 cases which were all vivax malaria were imported from other provinces of China, and 11 cases in these 38 imported vivax cases were relapse and with the significantly higher relapse rate than that of local patients. A total of 248 cases were imported from overseas and in which 207 cases were falciparum cases including 82 cases of recurrence after returning China. There were 23 relapse cases in 41 overseas imported vivax cases with the significantly higher relapse rate than those of both local cases and imported cases from other provinces of China. Conclusions: The local vivax malaria cases in Jiangsu Province decrease significantly, but the number of imported vivax cases are still high and the imported falciparum cases from overseas are increasing exponentially year by year. Therefore, to achieve the target of malaria elimination in Jiangsu Province on schedule, the malaria control in key areas should be strengthened to further reduce local infection incidence, also have to actively explore the radical cure approaches during no transmission season for vivax malaria cases among mobile population and reduce the relapse rate to reduce the impact of imported vivax cases to the control effects in Jiangsu Province. At the same time, the health education to the personnel of labor export should be further strengthened to improve their awareness of self-protection, and actively carry out multi-sector collaboration and enhance the monitoring and management of returned labors from overseas to promote the work on imported falciparum malaria prevention and control.