Epilepsy in Lao Peoples’ Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is a neglected condition. After 5 years of research, we established some baseline information for people living with epilepsy in Lao PDR. Prevalence was 7.7 per thousand population. Stigma and misconceptions were common. Traditional beliefs and practices were prevalent. The treatment gap was 90% or more. Phenobarbital was available in less than 55% of pharmacies in the capital city of Vientiane and not available in many rural areas. There are two neurologists in the country. The neurology investigational facilities are basic, mainly concentrated in the capital city. The studies demonstrate that epilepsy is a public health concern in Lao PDR. The authors proposed a treatment intervention project involving multiple partners and a step-by-step approach.

Among Paragonimus species, P. paishuihoensis is one of the most mysterious and poorly understood species. Metacercariae are characterized by having a unique dendritically branched excretory bladder. However, the morphology of the adult worm remains unknown. To date, metacercariae of this species have been reported only in China and Thailand. In this study, we first found P. paishuihoensis metacercariae in freshwater crabs, Potamon lipkei, in Hinheub District, Vientiane, Lao PDR, with a prevalence of 77.7% and the average intensity of 10.3 (range 1-28) metacercariae per crab. The molecular data based on ITS2 and CO1 markers indicated that P. paishuihoensis from Laos and Thailand were almost completely identical and were close to members of the Paragonimus bangkokensis/Paragonimus harinasutai complex. Attempts to infect experimental animals (cats, dogs, and rats) with P. paishuihoensis were unsuccessful, suggesting that these animals might be unsuitable definitive hosts for the species. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the taxonomic status and life cycle of P. paishuihoensis.
Animals ; Brachyura/*parasitology ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/chemistry/genetics ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; Fresh Water ; Laos ; Metacercariae/*isolation & purification ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Paragonimus/*isolation & purification ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology