Prevalence and associated factors of helminthic infection in communities along the Mekong Riverside in Sangthong District, Vientiane Capital
- Author:
Phoumsavath chittapanyo
1
;
Kongkham Kongkham
1
;
Naly Khaminsou
1
;
Souphaphone Vongsack
1
;
Onekham Savongsy
1
;
Somphonphet Chanthavong
1
;
Panomphan Mahaphonh
1
;
Sountala Vongxay
1
;
Sysavanh Phommachanh
2
Author Information
- Collective Name:LMJ
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords: Prevalence, helminthiasis, risk behaviors.
- From:Lao Medical Journal 2025;16(16):3-11
- CountryLao People's Democratic Republic
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Rationale and Background: :Parasitic infections remain a significant public health concern in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.5 billion people worldwide are affected by soil-transmitted parasitic infection. These infections are particularly prevalent in tropical regions, with over 267 million preschool-aged children and 568 million school-aged children infected.
Objectives: :To establish the prevalence of parasitic infections and associated factors among the riverside Mekong communities in Sangthong District, Vientiane Capital.
Methodology: :This study employed a cross-sectional analytic approach to determine the prevalence of helminthic infections, and factors associated with infections in humans in the Mekong Riverside communities of Sangthong District, Vientiane Capital, in 2023. Data were collected using questionnaires and stool examinations conducted with the modified Kato-Katz technique. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, including logistic regression, were performed using STATA version 14.
Results: :Among the 327 participants, 94 individuals (28.7%) were found to have intestinal parasitic infections. The most common parasite was Taenia spp. (22.3%), followed by Hookworm (20.2%), Ascaris lumbricoides (12.7%), Opisthorchis viverrini (11.7%), Strongyloides stercoralis (4.2%), Fasciola spp. (4.2%), Hymenolepis nana (3.1%), and Trichuris trichiura (2.1%). Co-infections were observed in several cases: Hookworm + Opisthorchis viverrini (4.2%), and Hookworm + Strongyloides stercoralis (4.2%), Fasciola spp. + Hookworm (2.1%), Taenia spp. + Ascaris lumbricoides (2.1%), and Taenia spp. + Hookworm (2.1%). Triple infections were found in a small percentage of participants (1.0%), involving Hookworm, Opisthorchis viverrini, and Ascaris lumbricoides. Risk factors for intestinal parasitic infections included the consumption of raw food (AOR = 2.394, 95% CI: 1.011–5.667, p = 0.047) and walking barefoot during farm work (AOR = 4.563, 95% CI: 1.000–20.819, p = 0.050).
Conclusion: :This study highlights that consuming raw food and walking barefoot during farm work are key risk factors for parasitic infections. However, it also demonstrates that in Santhong District, Vientiane Capital, the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections (27.8%), particularly Taenia spp., Hookworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Opisthorchis viverrine, are lower than the previously reported national average of 75.8%. - Full text:2026030316422041487ບົດທີ 01. Phoumsavath Manuscript final_Eng_(Format LMJ_16).pdf
