Helminthiasis among the Khlong Luang Rachalothorn Reservoir Project, Chonburi Province

Abstract

            The Klong Loung Ratchalothorn reservoir project is one of the responsible of the Irrigation department which need to study the impact of this project on the environments and people’s health in surrounding community. The more natural food sources increase, the more population migrates and the more host and intermediate host move to those areas. It might be the cause of helminthes disease epidemic. This cross sectional study was aimed to explore the infection rate of helminthes in natural host and intermediate hosts around the dam areas with geographic coordinate surveys. The totals of 359 stool samples were included to examine for egg and larva of helminthes by using formalin–ether concentration technique (FECT) while floating and sedimentation technique together with FECT were applied to examine parasite infection in the reservoir’s stool samples. The cercariae in fresh water snails were detected by shedding and crushing technique while the metacercariae in fresh water fishes were detected by pepsin digestion methods.

           The research result showed that the helminthes infection rate among the studied people was 6.4% and intestinal protozoan infection rate was 3.1%. The infection rate of zoonotic helminthes in dogs, cats, cow and buffaloes were 22.3%, 17.7%, 21.0 and 37.5, respectively. The cercarial or metacercarial infection rate in fresh water snails was 2.69% while in fresh water fishes was 7.08%. In this study, Opisthorchis viverrini eggs were detected in stool human samples and its metacercariae were detected in fishes. This liver fluke is one of the recently etiological factors of cholangiocarcinoma in Thai people.       

           Keywords: Klong Loung Ratchalothorn reservoir, Helminthes, animal reservoir, Intermediate hosts