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Background The liver fluke, Opisthorchis felineus, is widely distributed throughout Europe and large parts of the Russian Federation. In Western Siberia, information about opisthorchiasis is lacking although infection may lead to severe liver and bile duct diseases. We aimed to assess the current prevalence of O. felineus infection along with associated risk factors and morbidity in rural Western Siberia. Methods We conducted a community-based, cross-sectional study in the rural Shegarskiy district, Tomsk Oblast, Russian Federation. All household members (� 7 years) present on the survey day were enrolled (n = 600). Two stool samples per person were examined for helminth eggs, using PARASEP (DiaSys Ltd, UK). The number of eggs per gram (EPG) of feces was recorded. Each study participant was interviewed to determine risk factors, using a pretested questionnaire. An abdominal ultrasonography examination of liver and bile ducts was performed with a mobile, high resolution ultrasound device. In total, 488 persons completed assessments (two stool samples, completed questionnaires); of those, 436 individuals had an ultrasonography (US) examination. Results We observed a prevalence of O. felineus infection of 60.2%. Significant risk factors for infection were the consumption of river fish (odds ratio from adjusted analysis [aOR] 2.4, 95% CI

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The One Health movement aims to provide integrated responses to problems that emerge at the intersections of human, animal, and ecological health. However, it risks derailment due to over-reliance on top-down global responses and generalisations that often fail to fit real-world settings. In this article, we examine the case of parasitic Opisthorchis felineus infection in Western Siberia and argue that understanding the local social dynamics of disease exposure and transmission, and how people live their lives in interactions with other species is crucial for making One Health work in practice. This qualitative study was conducted in preparation for developing an opisthorchiasis control programme and involved 20 in-depth interviews, participant observation, and multiple unstructured interviews in the village of Melnikovo. We explored the social dynamics of O. felineus transmission and designed a participatory model of these dynamics. This model attests to the specificity of transmission dynamics in Western Siberia and demonstrates the importance of understanding this public health issue as embedded in social networks and animated by a variety of locally-specific linkages between ways of life, food and health cultures, health-care systems, economies, and landscapes. Our work highlights that such participatory approaches have to be an integral part of One Health interventions if these interventions are to be effective and legitimate.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a cancer with high mortality owing to its aggressiveness and resistance to therapy. The liver flukes of the Opisthorchiidae family have been recognized as risk factors of CCA. Opisthorchis felineus infection occurs in Western Siberia, the biggest endemic area in the Russian Federation, and is associated with chronic inflammation of the bile ducts, which may be linked to severe hepatobiliary morbidity. We report two cases of confirmed CCA who had a chronic O. felineus infection. Both cases presented unspecific symptoms at the onset of the disease, a stage when severe pathological changes already had occurred. Both patients were living in endemic areas but did not receive any antihelminthic treatment. This report underlines the need for assessment of O. felineus infection as a causative factor of CCA. The results will provide further arguments for control of O. felineus in the Russian Federation.