Sero-epidemiological survey of gnathostomiasis in Lao PDR

While human gnathostomiasis cases have been reported sporadically in Lao PDR since 1975 little is known about the disease in this country We aimed to investigate sero prevalence of gnathostomiasis and Gnathostoma species in Lao PDR One village each in the north central and south legions of Lao PDR was selected as the study sites Overall 125 (29 8%) of 420 sera from the randomly selected participants were sero-positive by immunoblot technique with anti Gnathostoma IgG antibody against the 24 kDa fraction The sero-prevalence was high in the central (47 1%) and south (38 6%) but low (3 6%) in the north Risk factor analyses revealed that the consumption of raw/undercooked fish was significantly associated with Gnathostoma sero-positivity (95% CI 1 05-17 05 P=0 042) The sero-positivity significantly increased with the age of the participants Several fish swamp eels and frogs collected from central and southern Lao were infected with G spinigerum advanced 3rd-stage larvae Channa limbata (red-tailed snakehead fish) was identified as a natural second intermediate host of G spinigerum Eggs of G spinigerum were found in dog feces collected in the south Gnathostomiasis is endemic in central and southern Laos so that preventive measures should be introduced for people living in these regions (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd All rights reserved