Results of monitoring of the natural infection rate of second intermediate host of Paragonimus skrjabini in northwestern Hubei

Aim To investigate the breeding environment and changes in natural infection rate of Paragonimus skrjabini, the second intermediate host.Methods The data of the natural infection rate of crab of the intermediate host crab and animal host in infectious foci of Paragonimus skrjabini were collected and analyzed.Results The impact of environment factors,human behavior on the pagomgonimus foci,the second intermediate hosts and river crabs breeding naturally infected with metacercaria was significant,the average infection rate dropped from 17.08% in 1985 to 5.96%in 1996 and 2007.Conclusion Eco-environmental change and human behavior directly affect the range and breeding of wild animals and the intermediate host,resulting in the decrease of infekction rate of metacercariae gradually.However,with the implementation of returning farmland to forest,improvement of the ecological environment is conducive to the breeding of snail intermediate hosts and river crab,there might appear new infectious foci.Thus paragonimiasis would be prevalent in this area.