Parasites, Hosts and Diseases

The Korea Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (대한기생충학·열대의학회)
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High prevalence of liver and intestinal fluke infections among residents of Savannakhet Province in Laos

  • Chai, Jong-Yil (Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, and Institute of Endemic Diseases, Seoul National University Medical Research Center) ;
  • Han, Eun-Taek (Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Guk, Sang-Mee (Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, and Institute of Endemic Diseases, Seoul National University Medical Research Center) ;
  • Shin, Eun-Hee (Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, and Institute of Endemic Diseases, Seoul National University Medical Research Center) ;
  • Sohn, Woon-Mok (Department of Parasitology and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Yong, Tai-Soon (Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Yonsei University) ;
  • Eom, Keeseon S. (Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University) ;
  • Eee, Keon-Hoon (Korea Association of Health Promotion) ;
  • Jeong, Hoo-Gn (Korea Association of Health Promotion) ;
  • Ryang, Yong-Sang (Korea Association of Health Promotion) ;
  • Hoang, Eui-Hyug (Korea Association of Health Promotion) ;
  • Phommasack, Bounlay (Department of Hygiene and Prevention, Ministry of Public Health, Vientiane) ;
  • Insisiengmay, Bounnaloth (Department of Hygiene and Prevention, Ministry of Public Health, Vientiane)
  • Published : 2007.09.30
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Abstract

The prevalence of liver and intestinal fluke infections was surveyed on residents of Savannakhet Province, Laos. Fecal specimens were collected from a total of 981 residents in 4 Mekong riverside villages and examined by the Kato-Katz thick smear technique. The results revealed that the overall helminth egg positive rate was 84.2%, and the positive rate for small trematode eggs, including Opisthorchis viverrini, heterophyids, or lecithodendriids, was 67.1 %. To obtain adult flukes, 38 small trematode egg positive cases were treated with a 20-30 mg/kg single dose of praziquantel and purged. Diarrheic stools were then collected from 29 people and searched for helminth parasites using stereomicroscopes. Mixed infections with O. viverrini and 6 kinds of intestinal flukes were found, namely, Haplorchis taichui, Haplorchis pumilio, Haplorchis yokogawai, Prosthodendrium molenkampi, Phaneropsolus bonnei, and echinostomes. The total number of flukes collected was 7,693 specimens (av. no. per treated person; 265.3). The most common species was O. viverrini, followed by H. taichui, P. molenkampi, echinostomes, H. pumilio, P. bonnei, and H. yokogawai. The results indicate that foodborne liver and intestinal fluke infections are prevalent among residents of Savannakhet Province, Laos.

Keywords

References

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