Identifying thresholds for classifying moderate-to-heavy soil-transmitted helminth intensity infections for FECPAKG2, McMaster, Mini-FLOTAC and qPCR.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined moderate-to-heavy intensity (M&HI) infections with soil-transmitted helminths (Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and the two hookworms, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus) based on specific values of eggs per gram of stool, as measured by the Kato-Katz method. There are a variety of novel microscopy and DNA-based methods but it remains unclear whether applying current WHO thresholds on to these methods allows for a reliable classification of M&HI infections. We evaluated both WHO and method-specific thresholds for classifying the M&HI infections for novel microscopic (FECPAKG2, McMaster and Mini-FLOTAC) and DNA-based (qPCR) diagnostic methods.

Assessment of the anthelmintic efficacy of albendazole in school children in seven countries where soil-transmitted helminths are endemic.

Background: The three major soil-transmitted helminths (STH) Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and Necator americanus/Ancylostoma duodenale are among the most widespread parasites worldwide. Despite the global expansion of preventive anthelmintic treatment, standard operating procedures to monitor anthelmintic drug efficacy are lacking. The objective of this study, therefore, was to define the efficacy of a single 400 milligram dose of albendazole (ALB) against these three STH using a standardized protocol.

A human case of subcutaneous dirofilariasis caused by Dirofilaria repens in Vietnam: histologic and molecular confirmation.

Human dirofilariasis caused by infection with Dirofilaria worms has been frequently reported. The symptoms associated with infection by these filarial parasites, which are transmitted to humans by zooanthropophilic mosquitoes, are characterized by mainly pulmonary and subcutaneous nodules. Here, we report the first case in Vietnam of a subcutaneous dirofilariasis with a painful nodule in the right eyelid.

Acute febrile myalgia in Vietnam due to trichinellosis following the consumption of raw pork.

Trichinellosis outbreaks occur occasionally in Vietnam following the consumption of undercooked pork. Diagnosing trichinella can be problematic because fever and myalgia are nonspecific, and diagnosis may be delayed. We describe 5 Vietnamese patients in whom trichinellosis was diagnosed after several weeks of illness.

The effectiveness of 4 monthly albendazole treatment in the reduction of soil-transmitted helminth infections in women of reproductive age in Viet Nam.

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are endemic in northern Viet Nam where the climate and agricultural practices, such as the use of human excreta as fertiliser and the use of wastewater for irrigation, favour transmission. An intervention was conducted in Yen Bai Province, north-west Viet Nam, to measure the effectiveness of single dose albendazole (400mg) administered every 4 months for reducing the prevalence of STH infections in women of reproductive age. Stool samples were collected from women before the intervention and 3 and 12 months post-intervention.

High latrine coverage is not reducing the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Hoa Binh province, Vietnam.

A baseline epidemiological survey for parasite infections was conducted between December 2007 and January 2008 in 155 villagers in a rural commune in Hoa Binh province, Vietnam. The prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm infection was 13.5%, 45.

Prevalence, intensity and risk factors for clonorchiasis and possible use of questionnaires to detect individuals at risk in northern Vietnam.

A high prevalence of the liver flukes Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini has been reported in a number of provinces in Vietnam. Knowledge about C. sinensis infection gained from Thailand over the past decade suggests that the habit of eating raw freshwater fish is a major risk factor for infection.