Carcinogenic Liver Fluke and Others Contaminated in Pickled Fish of Northeastern Thailand

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

1 Department of Thai Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Natural Resources, Rajamangala University of Technology Isan Sakonnakhon Campus, Sakon Nakhon 47160, Thailand

2 Neglected, Zoonosis and Vector-Borne Disease Group, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand

3 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002 Thailand

4 Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Cholangiocarcinoma Screening and Care Program (CASCAP), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand

5 Department of Anesthesiology, , Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002 Thailand

6 Faculty of Veternary Medicine, KhonKaen University, Khon Kaen 40002 Thailand

7 Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002 Thailand

8 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002 Thailand

9 Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002 Thailand

Abstract

 
Twenty provinces in northeastern Thailand were investigated for fluke metacercariae contamination in pickled fish, or pla-som, during January –June 2016. A total of 129 pickled fish shops were randomly chosen. Samples were digested with acid-pepsin and those found to be infected with metacercariae were fed to hamsters to test for metacercariae infectivity. The results demonstrated that only 20.2% of the pla-som samples were infected with fluke metacercariae (mc), at various levels (1 to 268 mc/kg). All recovered fluke metacercariae were inactive, degenerated and could not develop to adults in the animal model. In conclusion, the fluke mc infection status in pla-som was correlated with the prevalence of fluke infection in this region known for high O.viverrini and cholangiocarcinoma development. Clearly, systematic control of the fluke life cycle is needed. Whether pickling is an effective preventive measure needs further assessment.

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