Seasonal prevalence, risk factors, and One Health intervention for prevention of intestinal parasitic infection in underprivileged communities on the Thai-Myanmar border

Abstract

Background: Tha Song Yang District, located on the Thai-Myanmar border, contributes to the second highest cases of amoebic dysentery due to intestinal parasitic infections (IPI). However, there were limited disease prevalence data, specific surveillance systems, and interventions available.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the epidemiological features of the IPIs and apply the One Health (OH) approach to solve IPI-related problems.

Methods: Prevalence of asymptomatic infections in human and animals, yearly symptomatic cases, and associated risk factors were investigated. The OH intervention included improving the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of the community, microscopic diagnosis training, and stakeholder engagement for IPI prevention designs.

Results: The prevalence of asymptomatic cases was much higher than that of the symptomatic cases. Infective stages of the intestinal parasites were discovered in animal stool and water samples, indicating possible transmission routes. One year after the intervention, there were significant declines in asymptomatic IPIs and symptomatic cases of amoebic dysentery. Significant improvements in KAP and awareness regarding water and manure-waste management of the community were observed.

Conclusion: We reported the successful application of the OH intervention in reducing the IPI prevalence and mitigating disease-related risks. The intervention might be applied to address other infectious diseases in the future.

Keywords: Intestinal parasitic infection; One Health intervention; Risk factors; Seasonal prevalence.