Rapid Identification of Paragonimiasis Foci by Lay Informants in Lao People's Democratic Republic

Abstract

BackgroundParagonimiasis is a food-borne trematodiasis leading to lung disease. Worldwide, an estimated 21 million people are infected. Foci of ongoing transmission remain often unnoticed. We evaluated a simple questionnaire approach using lay-informants at the village level to identify paragonimiasis foci and suspected paragonimiasis cases.Methodology/Principal FindingsThe study was carried out in an endemic area of Lao People's Democratic Republic. Leaders of 49 remote villages in northern Vientiane Province were asked to notify suspected paragonimiasis patients using a four-item questionnaire sent through administrative channels: persons responding positively for having chronic cough (more than 3 weeks) and/or blood in sputum with or without fever. We validated the village leaders' reports in ten representative villages with a door-to-door survey. We examined three sputa of suspected patients for the presence of Paragonimus eggs and acid fast bacilli. 91.8% of village leaders participated and notified a total of 220 suspected patients; 76.2% were eventually confirmed; an additional 138 suspected cases were found in the survey. Sensitivity of village leaders' notice for “chronic cough” and “blood in sputum” was 100%; “blood in sputum” alone reached a sensitivity of 85.7%.SignificanceOur approach led to the identification of three previously unknown foci of transmission. A rapid and simple lay-informant questionnaire approach is a promising low-cost community diagnostic tool of paragonimiasis control programs.

Intestinal Helminths Recovered from Humans in Xieng Khouang Province, Lao PDR with a Particular Note on <i>Haplorchis pumilio</i> Infection

“…Centrocestus formosanus is another minute intestinal fluke species recovered recently from a few Laotians in scattered localities [ 12 ]. Schistosomiasis [ 13 ], paragonimiasis [ 14 ], and echinostomiasis [ 15 , 16 ] have also been reported from scattered localities in Lao PDR.…”

Integrated surveillance of pulmonary tuberculosis and paragonimiasis in Zamboanga del Norte, the Philippines

“…Sputum samples from 129 suspected cases were examined; seven (5.4%) were found positive for Paragonimus, and one (0.8%) was positive for AFB. 23 Capacity building of LHUs is one of the main components of the NTP, and is part of the recommendations of the AO on paragonimiasis. 10,18 This, in turn, will translate to early and appropriate disease management, as well as early morbidity control.…”

Phosphagen Kinase System of the Trematode Paragonimus westermani: Cloning and Expression of a Novel Chemotherapeutic Target

“…Human paragonimiasis has been reported to be re-emerging in previously endemic areas in Japan (Mukae et al, 2001;Nakano et al, 2001, andKirino et al, 2009) and increasing in some regions of China (Lieu et al, 2008). New foci of transmission have also been reported in Lao PDR (Odermatt et al, 2009). Currently, either praziquantel or triclabendazole is effective for the treatment of pulmonary paragonimiasis.…”