Prevalence and risk factors associated with Clonorchis sinensis infections in rural communities in northern Vietnam

Abstract

Background Clonorchiasis, caused by the fish-borne trematode Clonorchis sinensis, is a neglected tropical disease and a public health issue in endemic countries. In Vietnam, an in-depth analysis of risk factors for the condition is missing up to now. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of C. sinensis infection and associated risk factors in rural communities in northern Vietnam. Methodology/Principal findings A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 4 communes in Yen Bai and Thanh Hoa provinces where clonorchiasis is known to be present and raw fish consumption is a common. Using a simple random sampling approach, stool was collected from 841 cparticipants over 6 years old for coprological examination, and a questionnaire measured knowledge, attitudes, and practices with regard to clonorchiasis in 757 participants over 15 years old. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were run to identify risk factors for infection with C. sinensis. The overall prevalence of C. sinensis infection was 40.4%, with commune prevalences ranging between 26.5% and 53.3%. In the final model, males were significantly more likely to be infected with C. sinensis (OR 2.00; 95% CI 1.31-3.05). Recent PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES

Clonorchis sinensis infection modulates key cytokines for essential immune response impacted by sex

“…The provincial level survey in Guangxi demonstrated a prevalence of 14.0% in male and 7.2% in female in 2019. Consistently, the prevalence in the male was around 2 times than that in the female in local survey in Republic of Korea and Vietnam [35,36]. It was believed that the difference between sexes in C. sinensis infection is mainly related to dietary customs namely raw-fishing eating behavior [7,37,38].…”

Helminth infections in fish in Vietnam: A systematic review

“…Indeed, clonorchiasis is endemic in the North region ( Dang et al, 2008 ), where it has been reported in 21 provinces and where more than one million people were estimated to be infected ( Qian et al, 2012 ; Sithithaworn et al, 2012 ). The reported prevalence in humans ranged from 0.2% to 40.4%, and infection is associated with the consumption of raw fish ( De et al, 2003 ; Nguyen et al, 2020b ). On the other hand, O. viverrini infection in humans is endemic in Central Vietnam.…”

“…Next to its importance for the economy, fish provides a cheap protein source for the Vietnamese population ( Allison, 2011 ). However, the local culinary habit to consume raw fish puts the Vietnamese population at risk for fish-borne zoonoses ( Nguyen et al, 2020b ). At the same time, general consumer expectations and living conditions are progressing, thus leading to an increased demand for safer fish.…”

Cost yield of different treatment strategies against Clonorchis sinensis infection

“…The different cost yield in different populations was essentially attributable to the difference in prevalence. Because clonorchiasis shows a significantly differential distribution in different genders and ages due to difference in ingesting raw freshwater fish [ 5 , 25 , 31 ]. Adult male shows a higher prevalence compared to adult female and both show higher prevalence compared to children.…”