NewsDesk @bactiman63
Thailand health officials report 848 liver fluke cases in the first six months of 2023. This compares to the 959 cases reported in all of 2022.
Nearly half the cases are reported in northern Thailand (425) with Nan province accounting for 389 cases.
Nan also reports a morbidity rate of 81.67 per 100,000 population, far higher than any other province in the country.
Other provinces reporting high number of cases include Chaiyaphum (107), Ubon Ratchathani (84), Nong Khai (75) and Phayao (35).
No deaths have been reported.
Human liver flukes are waterborne parasites that cause significant disease burden, particularly in Asia. Specifically, they are foodborne trematodes, which some researchers have labeled as “among the most neglected of the so-called neglected tropical diseases”.
Opisthorchis viverrini (Southeast Asian liver fluke) is a primary parasite of interest and a public health priority in Thailand, where it is transmitted to humans via the consumption of popular local raw and fermented fish dishes such as koi pla and pla som.
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