National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2011 Apr 12;5(4):e1037. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001037.
Detailed investigations of multiparasitism are scarce in the Mekong River basin. We assessed helminth (trematode, nematode, and cestode), and intestinal protozoa infections, and multiparasitism in random population samples from three different eco-epidemiological settings in Champasack province, southern Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), and determined underlying risk factors.
Two stool samples were collected from 669 individuals aged ≥ 6 months over consecutive days and examined for helminth infections using the Kato-Katz method. Additionally, one stool sample per person was subjected to a formalin-ethyl acetate concentration technique for diagnosis of helminth and intestinal protozoa infections. Questionnaires were administered to obtain individual and household-level data pertaining to behavior, demography and socioeconomic status. Risk factors for hepato-biliary and intestinal parasitic infections and multiparasitism were determined using multiple logistic regressions analyses.
MULTIPLE SPECIES INTESTINAL PARASITE INFECTIONS WERE COMMON: 86.6% of the study participants harbored at least two and up to seven different parasites concurrently. Regarding nematode infections, hookworm was the most prevalent species (76.8%), followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (31.7%) and Trichuris trichiura (25.0%). Regarding trematodes, Opisthorchis viverrini and Schistosoma mekongi infections were found in 64.3% and 24.2% of the participants, respectively. Infections with intestinal protozoa were rare.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: There is a pressing need to intensify and sustain helminth control interventions in the southern part of Lao PDR. Given the high prevalence with nematode and trematode infections and the extent of multiparasitism, preventive chemotherapy is warranted. This intervention should be coupled with health education and improved access to clean water and adequate sanitation to consolidate morbidity control and enhance sustainability.
湄公河流域对多寄生虫感染的详细调查很少。我们评估了随机人群样本中的寄生虫（吸虫、线虫和绦虫）和肠道原虫感染情况，并确定了老挝南部占巴塞省三个不同生态流行病学环境中的多寄生虫感染情况及其潜在的危险因素。
连续两天从 669 名年龄在 6 个月以上的个体中收集两份粪便样本，并使用加藤厚涂片法检查寄生虫感染情况。此外，每人的一份粪便样本通过甲醛-乙醚浓缩技术进行寄生虫和肠道原虫感染的诊断。调查问卷用于获取与行为、人口统计学和社会经济地位相关的个体和家庭数据。使用多变量逻辑回归分析确定肝胆和肠道寄生虫感染及多寄生虫感染的危险因素。
多种肠道寄生虫感染很常见：86.6%的研究参与者至少携带两种，最多携带七种不同的寄生虫。关于线虫感染，钩虫是最常见的物种（76.8%），其次是蛔虫（31.7%）和鞭虫（25.0%）。关于吸虫，64.3%和 24.2%的参与者分别感染了肝吸虫和湄公血吸虫。肠道原虫感染罕见。
结论/意义：老挝南部迫切需要加强和持续开展寄生虫控制干预措施。鉴于线虫和吸虫感染的高流行率以及多寄生虫感染的程度，需要进行预防性化疗。这种干预措施应与健康教育和改善清洁水和充足卫生设施的获取相结合，以巩固发病率控制并提高可持续性。
