Influence of Three Gorges Reservoir operation on oncomelania and schistosomiasis in Dongting Lake region

Whether the operation of Three Gorges Reservoir leads to the wide spread of schistosomiasis in mid-lower Yangtze River basin causes great concern. 26 monitoring sites were arranged in Dongting Lake region during 2003 to 2010 to track and monitor the situation of oncomelania. The results showed no oncomelania was detected in 13 sites of the beaches and shoals of Dongting Lake region in 2014, comparing with that in 2003; the average density of living oncomelania in 9 sites dropped by 96.27%; in 2014, the monitoring sites in which the living oncomelania was detected accounted for 34% of the total sites; the area of the river beach where the oncomelania is detected is reducing and the chance of oncomelania spread into the polder from beach is declining at large amplitude.