Current infection with small liver fluke at 2 communes Xuan Tien and Xuan Chau of Xuan Truong district, Nam Dinh province

ABSTRACT

Background: Liver flukes is classified into Foodbone Trematodes, which can cause serious harmful effect to human health such as cirrhosis. Objective: To identify the infection rate of small liver fluke at 2 communes Xuan Tien and Xuan Chau of Xuan Truong district, Nam Dinh province. Subject and Method: The descriptive epidemiological study with a random sampling was conducted on 1411 people aged 18 or higher to find small liver fluke eggs in their feces by Kato's method. Result and Conclusion: Findings show that the infection rate of small liver fluke in people was 19.1 %, and that in Xuan Tien was higher than that in Xuan Chau (29.7% vs. 6.2%). The infection rate was highest in the 40-49 year old group (28.4%), and lowest in the 18-29 year old group (7.6%). Males had a higher infection rate than females (31.0% vs.10.5%). By occupation, the home craft had the highest infection rate (39.1 %), followed by farmers (20.1 %) and some others (6%). Those who completed secondary school or lower education had a infection rate higher than that of those who completed high school (24.1 % vs. 8.8%).