Nov. 24, 2017 -- China’s incidence of hydatid disease dropped to 0.34 percent in 2016, said Wu Weiping, researcher of the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

A conference on prevention and treatment of the hydatid disease was recently held in Gande County, Guoluo Prefecture of Qinghai Province, attracting more than 200 experts from Tibet and Shanghai.

The hydatid disease, usually contracted through both humans and animals in west China, has affected the development of local animal husbandry, making it difficult for farmers and herdsmen to increase their incomes.

Since 2013, Guoluo has carried out health education campaigns and launched a batch of hydatid disease prevention and control projects. For instance, it established a platform to monitor local dogs and set the first day of every month as the Dog-deworming Day.

Some professionals from Qinghai have been sent to Nyingchi and Naqu, Tibet Autonomous Region, passing on knowledge of preventing and controlling the disease.

Qinghai province has reduced the average incidence of hydatid disease from 0.63 percent in 2012 to 0.3 percent this year, according to Qinghai Health and Family Planning Commission.

By: Ma Wenhui