BACKGROUND: Several Philippine studies on selected neglected parasitic diseases cite major challenges in laboratory diagnosis that require review of standards, policies and practices.
OBJECTIVES: This review aims to: (1) describe the epidemiology of selected neglected parasitic diseases in the Philippines; (2) describe the current status of laboratory diagnosis of these diseases in terms of standards, policies and practices; and (3) identify challenges and opportunities for improvement of laboratory diagnosis.
METHODS: Epidemiologic data were collected from published scientific papers and monographs. International standards were gathered from journal articles and the World Health Organization (WHO). Philippine policies were obtained from interviews with the Department of Health (DOH) and other agencies. Recommendations for policy and practice were formulated based on evidence and feasibility.
RESULTS: High prevalence of neglected parasitic diseases in the country, coupled with lack of national policies on diagnosis and quality assurance guidelines specific to parasitology, pose significant challenges to accurate diagnosis.
CONCLUSION: Results of this review merit the development of a comprehensive Philippine policy on a quality assurance scheme for parasitology laboratories and stronger licensing standards. This policy should be supported through a network of reference centers that coordinate parasitology training, staff certification, and laboratory accreditation.

Human ; Animal ; Male ; Female ; Parasitic Diseases ; Laboratories ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiology ; Quality Control ; Parasitology

OBJECTIVES: Confirmation of Kudoa septempunctata (K. septempunctata) as the pathogenic agent causing acute food poisoning remains under debate owing to inconsistencies in the reproducibility of experimental evidence. Higher intake of olive flounder infected with K. septempunctata would result in increased diagnosis of food poisoning by K. septempunctata, if the latter was one of the causal agents of acute food poisoning. The aim was to evaluate the relationship between the shipping amount of olive flounder aquacultured from Jejudo and the incidence of K. septempunctata food poisoning in 2015, Korea. METHODS: Data of shipping amounts between March 2014 and February 2016 and of monthly reported events of Kudoa food poisoning were taken from Jejudo Fish-Culture Fisheries Cooperatives and Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, respectively. Non-parametric correlation analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Shipping amounts indicated the seasonal changes according to variation of consumption. Spearman's rho and Kendall's tau-a between the monthly shipping amounts and the reported events in 2015 were 0.39 (p=0.21) and 0.27 (p=0.20), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: An independent relationship was noted between the shipping amount and the reported events, which contrasted with the claim that the virulence of K. septempunctata caused acute food poisoning.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Diagnosis ; Fisheries ; Flounder* ; Food Parasitology ; Foodborne Diseases* ; Incidence ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic ; Jeju-do* ; Korea* ; Myxozoa ; Olea* ; Seasons ; Ships* ; Virulence

OBJECTIVES: Confirmation of Kudoa septempunctata (K. septempunctata) as the pathogenic agent causing acute food poisoning remains under debate owing to inconsistencies in the reproducibility of experimental evidence. Higher intake of olive flounder infected with K. septempunctata would result in increased diagnosis of food poisoning by K. septempunctata, if the latter was one of the causal agents of acute food poisoning. The aim was to evaluate the relationship between the shipping amount of olive flounder aquacultured from Jejudo and the incidence of K. septempunctata food poisoning in 2015, Korea.METHODS: Data of shipping amounts between March 2014 and February 2016 and of monthly reported events of Kudoa food poisoning were taken from Jejudo Fish-Culture Fisheries Cooperatives and Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, respectively. Non-parametric correlation analyses were conducted.RESULTS: Shipping amounts indicated the seasonal changes according to variation of consumption. Spearman's rho and Kendall's tau-a between the monthly shipping amounts and the reported events in 2015 were 0.39 (p=0.21) and 0.27 (p=0.20), respectively.CONCLUSIONS: An independent relationship was noted between the shipping amount and the reported events, which contrasted with the claim that the virulence of K. septempunctata caused acute food poisoning.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Diagnosis ; Fisheries ; Flounder ; Food Parasitology ; Foodborne Diseases ; Incidence ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic ; Jeju-do ; Korea ; Myxozoa ; Olea ; Seasons ; Ships ; Virulence

At present, more than 500,000 foreigner workers, most of them from Asian countries with high parasitic infection rates, are working in Korea. Since investigation into the prevalence of parasitic infections in foreigner workers has not yet been conducted in Korea, the present study was performed to determine the parasitic infection status of foreigner workers living in Cheonan City, Chungcheongnam-do (Chungnam Province) and to plan, on that basis, effective control measures. From October to December 2013, the parasitic infection status of 231 foreigner workers employed at selected Cheonan-si small businesses was investigated by both stool examination and ELISA. A total of 60 individuals (26.0%) were found to be infected with parasites. The stool examination detected 14 positive cases (6.1%), and ELISA revealed 50 positive people (21.6%), for at least a kind of parasitic disease. The most common infection was cysticercosis (8.7%), followed by toxocariasis (7.8%) and clonorchiasis (7.4%). Since it was proved that parasitic infections were prevalent among foreigner workers living in Cheonan City, more comprehensive study is urgently needed in order to understand the nationwide status of parasitic infections in foreigner workers.
Adult ; Animals ; Asia ; Emigrants and Immigrants/*statistics & numerical data ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Parasites/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Parasitic Diseases/*diagnosis/epidemiology/parasitology ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Travel ; Young Adult

Schistosomiasis is one of the important neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Tanzania, particularly in Lake Victoria zone. This baseline survey was a part of the main study of integrated control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) aimed at describing morbidity patterns due to intestinal schistosomiasis among adults living on Kome Island, Sengerema District, Tanzania. Total 388 adults from Kome Islands (about 50 people from each village) aged between 12 and 85 years, were examined by abdominal ultrasound according to the Niamey protocol. Liver image patterns (LIPs) A and B were considered normal, and C-F as distinct periportal fibrosis (PPF). The overall prevalence of PPF was 42.2%; much higher in males than in females (47.0% in male vs 34.4% in females, P=0.007). Abnormal increase of segmental branch wall thickness (SBWT) and dilated portal vein diameter (PVD) were also more common in males than in females. Hepatosplenomegaly was frequently encountered; 68.1% had left liver lobe hepatomegaly and 55.2% had splenomegaly. Schistosoma mansoni-related morbidity is quite high among adults in this community justifying the implementation of integrated control strategies through mass drug administration, improved water supply (pumped wells), and health education that had already started in the study area.
Abdomen/ultrasonography ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Islands ; Lakes ; Liver Diseases, Parasitic/diagnosis/*epidemiology/*pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Schistosomiasis mansoni/diagnosis/*epidemiology/*pathology ; Sex Factors ; Splenic Diseases/diagnosis/*epidemiology/parasitology/*pathology ; Tanzania/epidemiology ; Young Adult

The present study investigated characteristics of 24 parasite infection cases detected during colonoscopy in a regional hospital from January 2001 to December 2008. Sixteen patients were confirmed with Trichuris trichiura infection, 6 patients were with Ascaris lumbricoides infection, 1 patient with Enterobius vermicularis infection, and 1 patient with Anisakis infection. Among them, 7 patients (43.8%) were asymptomatic. Colonoscopy findings were normal in 18 patients (75.0%). Among the patients with T. trichiura infection, colonoscopy showed several erosions in 2 patients (8.3%) and non-specific inflammation of the affected segment of the colon in 3 patients (12.5%). In 1 patient with anisakiasis, colonoscopy revealed a markedly swollen colonic wall. Stool examinations were performed before treatment in 7 patients (29.2%) and were all negative for parasite eggs or worms. These results suggest that colonoscopy is a useful diagnostic approach for parasitic infections even for asymptomatic patients and for patients with negative stool examinations.
Adult ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Anisakis/isolation & purification ; Ascaris lumbricoides/isolation & purification ; *Colonoscopy ; Enterobius/isolation & purification ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Helminthiasis/*diagnosis/*epidemiology/pathology ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/*diagnosis/*epidemiology/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea ; Trichuris/isolation & purification ; Young Adult