At 3 mountainous communes of Bao Yen, Van Ban and Than Uyen districts of Lao Cai province, where there are stoned streams and stoned crab. The eating raw-crab rate in population was 39.5%. The rate of Paragonimus metacercaria was 69.6%. 2.149 human stool samples were collected and examined by Kato technique. The result showed that helminthic infection rate was 96.1%, of which the rate of Ascaris, Trichiuris, Hookworm, Paragonimus and Taenia infection was 88.7%, 33.5%, 67.1%, 0.3% and 4.1% respectively. The rate of multi-infection was 70.5%. In the 3 above communes, 722 human sputum samples were examined by direct method, the rate of paragonimiasis was 3.2%
epidemiology ; Helminthiasis ; Parasitic Diseases

Malaria situation in Lao Cai was stable during 4 first months of 2008. Number of malaria patients has decreased by 39.88% so that the rate of malaria patients/population was reduced by 39.28% compared to the same period of the last year. No malaria parasites were found. The malaria prevalence was reduced in all districts compared to that of the same period of the last year. All the former malaria foci were stable with no new malaria patients found. The survey, however, revealed some weak points in the malaria surveillance network. Blood slides were not taken or taken in inconsiderable number in many communes; blood films were too small of slides were labeled over the blood film. Ten of fifty microscope points (20%) over the province had stopped working due to many reasons: movement of the staff, on training, birth leaves and so on. Forty microscope points were checked and ranked. Only 15 microscope points were ranked "good" (37.5%) as found to regularly work. These points were located mainly at hospitals, inter-communal clinics. Twelve others (12%) were ranked" fair" and 3 points (7.5%) were "weak". Many commune health centers did not regularly report monthly malaria data, or reported insufficient and wrong information causing incorrect data of the upper levels.
Malaria control ; Lao Cai province