ABSTRACT
The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection among 128 children under 15 years old in two villages in Khammouane Province, southeastern Lao PDR, was investigated. Overall prevalence of helminth infection was 77.3%; the prevalence was 64.8% in children under 6 years, 88.5% in those aged 6-10 years and 81.8% in the age group above 11 years. The prevalent helminths found in the subjects were Ascaris lumbricoides (48.4%), Trichuris trichiura (43.8%), hookworm (37.5%) and Opisthorchis viverrini (37.5%). Intestinal protozoan infection was demonstrated in 14.1%; Giardia lamblia was the most prevalent (8.6%) protozoan species.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Amebiasis/epidemiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Helminthiasis/epidemiology , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Intestinal Diseases/epidemiology , Laos/epidemiology , Male , PrevalenceABSTRACT
Malaria is endemic in all 17 provinces of Laos. Transmission is perennial with a "seasonal peak" coinciding with the rainy season. The vectors Anopheles minimus and An. balabacensis (=dirus) remain susceptible to DDT. Chloroquine-resistance of Plasmodium falciparum is at the RI-RII level. Multidrug resistance is not yet a problem. Major constraints of the antimalaria program involve logistics and operational problems solutions to which are specifically addressed in the recommendations.
Subject(s)
Animals , Anopheles , Antimalarials/therapeutic use , Drug Resistance , Humans , Laos/epidemiology , Malaria/epidemiology , Mosquito Control , Operations Research , Population Surveillance , SeasonsABSTRACT
A malariometric survey was conducted in the Keoudom District, in the northern part of Vientiane Province, Laos, where an artificial dam-lake on the Nam River is located. The parasite rate of the whole cohort representing 1,105 subjects was 2.44% with the predominance of Plasmodium vivax (70%), while P. falciparum represented 30% with the average parasite density index 3. The low spleen rate (2.3%) characterized the study area as a hypoendemic zone. IFAT antibodies were examined in 419 subjects. The seropositivity of 195 persons < 15 years was 13.7% while in > 15 year old subjects seropositivity was 61.6% with a low GMRT in both groups (140:148). Automedication with aminoquinoline was assayed by urinary analysis in 125 outpatients. Of these, 36 (28.8%) were positive, 89 (71.2%) negative. The frequency of positive blood films for P. falciparum was higher in subjects with aminoquinoline in the urine (36.1%) than in those without (10.1%). Chloroquine sensitivity assay of 15 strains of P. falciparum displayed resistance in 39.3%.