RESUMO
Intestinal parasitological survey was conducted to clarify the distribution of intestinal parasites in Nepal and Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) from 2001 to 2003. A total of 401 diarrheal fecal specimens were collected from patients aged one to 75 years (250 from Nepal and 151 from Lao PDR). The specimens were examined using the formalin-ether sedimentation (FES) and sucrose centrifugal flotation (SCF) techniques. Nine species (3 Nematoda, 1 Cestoda, and 5 Protozoa) of parasites were recovered from Nepal, whereas seven species (3 Nematoda, 1 Trematoda, and 3 Protozoa) from Lao PDR. Of the parasites detected, (14.4%) was the most common in Nepal, and was Opisthorchis viverrini (29.8%) in Lao PDR. Infection rates were markedly different among age groups in both countries; higher rates were observed in age groups of 10-29 years than in 0-9 years group. Scanning electron microscopic observation revealed that trematoda eggs recovered from Lao PDR were identified as O. viverrini, which could not be done by a light microscope.