Parasitic infections in relation to practices and knowledge in a rural village in Northern Thailand with emphasis on fish-borne trematode infection

Abstract

The present study integrates several aspects of a parasitological survey in a rural community village combining community knowledge of parasites, their potential transmission routes and health risk factors. A rural community located in Northern Thailand was surveyed for intestinal parasites, and an overall prevalence of 45.2% for helminths and 4.8% for protozoan infections was identified. Socio-demographic characteristics, customs and perceptions were compiled using individual questionnaires and interviews for participants surveyed for parasitic screening. The results allowed us to determine the knowledge and perception of local people concerning helminthic infection and transmission. Despite the fact that the participants in this community were aware of parasitic transmission routes, their widespread custom of eating raw fish and meat render the reduction of helminthiasis difficult. A detailed study on the infection of fish-borne parasitic trematodes, the most prevalent helminth, allowed us to determine that the distance from a given household to the river is a determinant of infection intensity. Health education activities organised in the local community resulted in a change in perception of risks associated with parasite transmission.

Monitoring Silent Spillovers Before Emergence: A Pilot Study at the Tick/Human Interface in Thailand

“…Voluntary participation in the research project was obtained after explanation of the purposes of the study and by signing the informed consent/assent form. Blood samples were collected once by local nurses from a primary care unit, as previously described (Chaisiri et al, 2018).…”

Intestinal parasites in rural communities in Nan Province, Thailand: changes in bacterial gut microbiota associated with minute intestinal fluke infection

“…Interestingly, previous research by Chaisiri et al . (2018) reported a high level of fish-borne trematode infection (45.2%) in the same village in 2012. Chaisiri et al .…”

“…Chaisiri et al . (2018) also showed an immediate reduction in the fish-borne trematode infection level to 4.4% after deworming and a health education programme, which disseminated information about parasitic diseases through participatory activities, including a cooking contest campaign. Surprisingly, the prevalence of the fish-borne trematode observed in the present study in 2018 has increased to a higher level (58.2%) than it was 6 years ago, before the interventions.…”

“…Saen Thong subdistrict (GPS coordinates: latitude 19.1330 and longitude 100.7680), Tha Wang Pha district, Nan Province was selected as the study site. There are eight villages altogether in this subdistrict: Baan Nanoon (Village 1), Baan Nasai (Village 2), Baan Pho (Village 3), Baan Huak (Village 4), Baan Namkrai (Village 5), Baan Huaymuang (Village 6; this village was investigated in a previous study, Chaisiri et al ., 2018), Baan Santisuk (Village 7) and Baan Hae (Village 8). The total population size is around 3,840 inhabitants.…”

“…taeniasis, cysticercosis, trichinellosis, opisthorchiasis and haplorchiasis, which is a result of a tradition of raw fish/meat consumption in these regions. Parasitological surveys in Nan Province (bordering Lao PDR) revealed that infection with MIFs, in this case Haplorchis spp., was more common than infection with the liver fluke O. viverrini (Watthanakulpanich et al ., 2010; Wijit et al ., 2013; Chaisiri et al ., 2018). The eggs of these two fish-borne trematodes are very similar and practically impossible to differentiate based on morphology during fecal examination (Tantrawatpan et al ., 2014).…”