Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study of Carcinogenic Human Liver Fluke in Elderly from Surin Province, Thailand

Background: Opisthorchis viverrini infection is a serious public-health problem in Southeast Asia. It isassociated with a number of hepatobiliary diseases and the evidence strongly indicates that liver fluke infection isthe etiology of cholangiocarcinoma.
Objectives: This study aimed to determine Opisthorchis viverrini infection inelderly people in Surin province, Northeastern Thailand.
Methods: A community-based cross-sectional survey wasconducted among 333 elderly in 17 districts of Surin province, during one year period from January to December2011. O. viverrini infection was determined using Kato’s Thick Smear technique and socio-demographic werecollected using predesigned semi-structured questionnaires, respectively.
Results: A total of 333 elderly including116 males and 217 females were selected from different study sites. Overall intestinal parasitic infection was16.2%, predominantly in O. viverrini (9.91%) and followed by Strongyloides stercolaris (4.80%) and hookworm(1.50%), respectively. The O. viverrini infection was found higher in males (13.8%) than females (7.83%), andfrequently in elderly 60-70 year old with 14.2%. Chi-square testing indicated that education and occupationwere significantly associated with O. viverrini infection (P value = 0.02). The distribution of O. viverrini infectionwas found in 11 districts which was covered 64.7% of the studies areas. The highest prevalence was found inThatum with 39.1%, and followed by Sangkha (24.0%), Buachet (21.1%), Samrong Thap (19.1%), Si Narong(15.0%), and Ratanaburi (13.3%) districts.
Conclusion: This findings stress that O viverrini is still a problemin Thailand. We confirmed, for the first time, the high endemicity of human O. viverrini infections in elderly inSurin province of Thailand, underlying the fact that mass treatment and health education are urgently required.