Surveillance and prevention of parasitic diseases

Quang Ninh has diverse geographical and climatic conditions, including mountainous, plain, coastal and island areas, which are both favorable for socio -economic development and potentially fraught with disease risks. In some remote and island areas, access to clean water and environmental sanitation is limited; many households still maintain the habit of eating raw fish salad, fermented pork rolls, raw vegetables, rare meat, blood pudding, etc., creating conditions for pathogens such as soil-transmitted worms, small liver flukes, and dog and cat roundworm larvae to survive and spread. Climate change, urbanization and the trend of keeping pets also increase the risk of infection.

In recent years, the province has synchronously deployed many prevention solutions, gradually controlled and reduced the impact of parasitic diseases, and protected people's health. Implementing the Parasitic Disease Prevention Plan of the Ministry of Health and the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Health has developed a parasitic disease prevention plan for the period 2023-2025, with the goal of reducing the infection rate, infection intensity, and disease burden; consolidating the parasitic disease prevention system in the whole province. Accordingly, the preventive health system, with the core being the Quang Ninh CDC, has closely coordinated with localities to organize investigations and zoning of parasitic disease epidemiology; establish a database and map of parasitic disease epidemiology. Prevention activities have been deployed synchronously from the province to the commune, with many contents, such as: Selective treatment, mass treatment; deworming campaign; distributing drugs to high-risk subjects; providing professional training for medical staff at all levels. Communication work is carried out in a variety of ways through leaflets, posters, radio, television, social networks, community activities, focusing on children, women of reproductive age, and animal-raising households; associated with the campaign to use hygienic toilets, wash hands with soap, and eat cooked food and drink boiled water.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Huong, Head of the Department of Parasitology - Entomology (CDC Quang Ninh), said: Implementing the Parasite Prevention Plan for the period 2023-2025, CDC has so far conducted an epidemiological survey of Parasites in 24 communes and wards in the province. Each collected data is the foundation for CDC to build appropriate intervention programs for each region and population group, contributing to effective disease prevention in the community.

Investigation results show that soil-transmitted helminthiasis has decreased significantly since 2018, thanks to the implementation of mass deworming in primary schools, increased monitoring and communication, helping people change their behavior and improve personal hygiene. However, rural and mountainous areas still have high potential risks due to limited economic conditions, environmental sanitation and living habits. In the period of 2022-2025, the whole province recorded 603 cases of parasitic diseases, mainly hookworm (29.7%), roundworm (24.05%), whipworm (19.6%), dog and cat roundworm larvae (15.9%), small liver flukes (9.9%)... In addition, some communes such as Lien Vi (now Lien Hoa commune) have a small liver fluke infection rate of up to 27.5%, mainly due to the habit of eating raw fish. Zoonotic infections, especially dog and cat roundworm, tend to increase in most localities in the province if animal feces are not controlled.

Thanks to timely implementation, many diseases are rare or do not appear in the community, such as large liver flukes, tapeworms, and roundworms. The deworming coverage rate in risk groups has reached and exceeded the plan in many localities; the detection and treatment of cases is carried out 100% according to the protocol. From 2018-2024, the province will carry out deworming activities for primary school students in the whole province once a year, with the medicine source sponsored by WHO. The capacity for testing and diagnosing parasitic diseases at the provincial and grassroots levels has been improved, many modern techniques such as ELISA, molecular biology, have been applied, meeting ISO 17025 and ISO 15189 standards. The provincial health sector regularly trains health workers on monitoring and preventing common parasitic diseases in Vietnam; trains in examination, diagnosis, and treatment of common parasitic diseases, helping to improve the professional skills and response capacity of the grassroots health force.

From 2024, Quang Ninh CDC will establish a Parasitic Disease Clinic. Thereby, it will provide examination, consultation and treatment services for parasitic diseases; specialized testing (ELISA, Kato - Katz, stool examination for parasitic diseases, ...); consultation on reinfection prevention, periodic screening for high-risk subjects such as children, pet owners, people who regularly eat raw freshwater fish, farmers, gardeners, etc.

In the coming time, the province will continue to maintain epidemiological surveillance, update epidemiological maps; expand key surveillance investigations, periodically deworm high-risk subjects; improve communication quality; and socialize parasite prevention work.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/giam-sat-phong-chong-benh-ky-sinh-trung-3371269.html