title: Current status of fish-borne zoonotic trematode infections in Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh province, Vietnam.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ninh Binh province is known as an endemic area of fish-borne zoonotic trematode (FZT) transmission in Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Gia Minh and Gia Thinh communes of Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh province to investigate the infections with different stages of FZT in various host species.
  
  
  METHODS
  Faecal samples from 1,857 humans were examined for trematode eggs using the Kato-Katz method, while faecal samples from 104 dogs, 100 cats, and 100 pigs were examined using the Formalin-ethyl acetate concentration technique (FECT). A total of 483 specimens of freshwater fish, representing 9 species, were examined for metacercariae using the artificial digestion method. Three methods of cercarial detection (shedding, crushing and cutting) were applied for examination of 3,972 specimens of freshwater snails, representing 7 species. All relevant data e.g. location, sex, age group, animal species, and habitat were recorded for statistical analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Helminth eggs were found in 65.5% of the human faecal samples, including 20.5% of faecal samples containing small trematode eggs. Infection with small trematodes differed among communes, age groups and sexes. Eggs of small trematodes were found in 32.7% of faecal samples from dogs, 49.0% from cats and 13.0% from pigs. The difference in prevalences and intensities were significant among species of animals but did not differ between the two communes. All fish species were infected with FZT, with an average prevalence of 56.1% and a mean intensity of 33.245 metacercariae per gram. Prevalence and intensity in fish differed significantly among cummunes and fish groups. Six species of zoonotic trematodes were identified. Metacercariae of the small liver fluke, Clonorchis sinensis, was only found in Hemiculter leucisculus. A total of 9 specimens from two snail species, Melanoides tuberculata and Bithynia fuchsiana, were infected with trematodes and four cercarial types were detected in the study sites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that Gia Minh and Gia Thinh communes are continuing to be hot-spot endemic areas of FZT and other helminths infections where the habit of eating raw fish by the local people is still present.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet St., Cau Giay district, Hanoi, Vietnam. hung_iebr@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Nguyen Manh
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (NIMPE), 245 Luong The Vinh St., Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi, Vietnam. dotrungdung.nimpe.vn@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Do Trung
authors.initials: do T
authors.lastname: Dung
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Veterinary Research (NIVR), 86 Truong Trinh St., Dong Da district, Hanoi, Vietnam. lananhnivr@yahoo.com.vn.
authors.forename: Nguyen Thi
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Lan Anh
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Aquaculture No. 1 (RIA1), Dinh Bang, Tu Son, Bac Ninh, Vietnam. phanvan@ria1.org.
authors.forename: Phan Thi
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Van
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Aquaculture No. 1 (RIA1), Dinh Bang, Tu Son, Bac Ninh, Vietnam. bui.thanhvn@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bui Ngoc
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Thanh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet St., Cau Giay district, Hanoi, Vietnam. hanguyenvans@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Nguyen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Van Ha
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet St., Cau Giay district, Hanoi, Vietnam. hieniebr@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hoang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Hien
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet St., Cau Giay district, Hanoi, Vietnam. lxcanh@vast.ac.vn.
authors.forename: Le Xuan
authors.initials: le X
authors.lastname: Canh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D002415:Cats; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000469:parasitology*; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012908:Snails; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult; D015047:Zoonoses