Pets are becoming the main cause of helminth infections, parasites for humans. Many people get sick because of the habit of eating raw food.
At the conference summarizing the prevention of infectious diseases in 2022 and implementing the plan for 2023 taking place on the afternoon of February 13, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Thanh Dong, Director of the Institute of Malaria – Parasites – Insects (Ministry of Health in Ho Chi Minh City) said that the Institute has conducted epidemiological investigations to identify risk areas and risk factors related to parasitic diseases in the Southern provinces and Lam Dong.
Specifically, relevant units have taken 7,167 human faeces samples for analysis. According to the test results, the prevalence of intestinal worms, soil-borne worms and food-borne trematodes in human feces samples accounted for nearly 2.7%.
The community’s habit of eating raw foods is increasing the risk of parasitic infections
In addition, the Institute also analyzed water samples taken from domestic water sources, ponds, irrigation water and soil samples in the aisles, toilets, and around the cattle sheds; samples of raw vegetables such as cinnamon, basil, lettuce, centella asiatica, scallions, perilla, laksa leaves… at households to conduct testing for helminth pathogens.
The results determined, the presence of soil-transmitted worms (1/100 samples) or strongyloidiasis larvae in water samples (1/65 samples).
In particular, out of 85 samples of raw vegetables collected in people’s gardens, there were 9 cases of soil-borne worm infection (mainly hookworm larvae), accounting for 10.6%.
Worryingly, out of 220 samples of animal feces (dog/cat, cattle) collected at people’s homes, 48 cases of soil-borne worm infection (ascariasis eggs, hookworm eggs, worm larvae) were recorded. hook), accounting for nearly 22% and 3 cases of tapeworm infection.
From the above fact, Associate Professor Thanh Dong said that the polluted environment is causing the transmission of worms and helminth diseases, especially in households that raise livestock but still do not have a system to collect waste from the barn. feed.
Most households keep dogs mainly to keep the house and do not periodically deworm the dogs, raising them in the form of letting them loose on the street, leading to the dogs defecating indiscriminately into the surrounding environment. This is the source of infection of parasitic diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans.
“In addition, at some investigation sites, authorities noted that people like to eat raw fish salad, eat blood pudding, … This is a source of infection of parasitic diseases transmitted through food.” – Assoc. Le Thanh Dong said.
According to Tien Phong