Diagnosis of Opisthorchis viverrini Infection with Handheld Microscopy in Lao People's Democratic Republic

Isaac I. Bogoch Divisions of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Health Network, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California

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Somphou Sayasone Divisions of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Health Network, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California

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Youthanavanh Vonghachack Divisions of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Health Network, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California

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Isabel Meister Divisions of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Health Network, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California

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Jürg Utzinger Divisions of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Health Network, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California

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Peter Odermatt Divisions of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Health Network, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California

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Jason R. Andrews Divisions of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Health Network, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California

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Jennifer Keiser Divisions of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Health Network, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.15-0525
Volume/Issue:
Volume 94: Issue 1
Page(s):
158–160
Restricted access
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Opisthorchiasis is a neglected tropical disease, yet it is of considerable public health importance in Southeast Asia given the predilection for chronically infected persons to develop cholangiocarcinoma. We evaluated a handheld microscope for the diagnosis of Opisthorchis viverrini in a community-based setting in Lao People's Democratic Republic in comparison with conventional light microscopy. In stool samples collected from 104 individuals, handheld microscopy revealed a sensitivity of 70.6% and a specificity of 89.5% for O. viverrini infection. Pearson's correlation for quantitative fecal egg counts between the two devices was 0.98 (95% confidence interval: 0.98–0.99). With small adjustments to further increase diagnostic sensitivity, a handheld microscope may become a helpful tool to screen for O. viverrini and other helminth infections in public health settings.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to Isaac I. Bogoch, Divisions of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Toronto General Hospital, 14EN-209, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2C4. E-mail: isaac.bogoch@uhn.ca
† These authors contributed equally to this work.

Financial support: Isaac I. Bogoch is supported by a grant from Grand Challenges Canada. Jennifer Keiser is grateful to the Swiss National Science Foundation (no. 320030_14930/1) for financial support.

Authors' addresses: Isaac I. Bogoch, Division of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Toronto General Hospital, Ontario, Canada, E-mail: isaac.bogoch@uhn.ca. Somphou Sayasone, National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic, E-mail: somphou.sayasone@yahoo.com. Youthanavanh Vonghachack, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic, E-mail: youthanavanh.vonghachack@yahoo.com. Isabel Meister and Jennifer Keiser, Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland, E-mails: isabel.meister@unibas.ch and jennifer.keiser@unibas.ch. Jürg Utzinger and Peter Odermatt, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland, E-mails: juerg.utzinger@unibas.ch and peter.odermatt@unibas.ch. Jason R. Andrews, Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, E-mail: jandr@stanford.edu.

Copyright:
© The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2016
Received:
13 Jul 2015
|
Accepted:
25 Sep 2015
|
Published Online:
06 Jan 2016
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
Online ISSN:
1476-1645
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