Schistosomiasis has been eradicated in many areas of east China's Jiangsu Province, local officials said.

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that had spread rampantly in south China, causing serious damage to people's health.

Schistosomiasis has completely wiped out in 37 counties that used to be seriously hit by the disease, sources said.

However, a considerable number of cases of the disease are still reported even today, sources said.

During the past five years, the province has invested as much as 112 million yuan (about 13.5 million US dollars) to prevent and cure the disease.

According to statistics, more than three million people have been examined and thousands of patients have been cured.

Jiangsu will intensify efforts to check the spread of schistosomiasis and plans to eradicate the disease during the coming 10 years, according to Jiang Yongrong, vice-governor of the province.