Prevalence of helminthic infections and risk factors in villagers of Nanglae Sub-District, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand.

The purposes of the present study were to survey the prevalence of helminthic infections in people living in Nanglae Sub-District of Chiang Rai Province, Thailand from January to March 2013, and to determine factors that correlated with these infections. Two hundred and sixty-three fecal samples were examined for helminth eggs by the use of Kato's thick smear technique. All data were analyzed by descriptive statistics including frequencies, percentages and correlations (Odds ratio [OR] and 95% confidence interval [CI]). The percentage of overall helminthic infections was 11.8%, comprising 6.1% Taenia spp., 4.5%, Ascaris lumbricoides, 0.8%, Strongyloides stercoralis and 0.4% flukes producing opisthorchiid-like eggs. In addition, the prevalence of helminthic infection correlated significantly with the consumption of raw meat (OR = 2.270, 95% CI = 1.047-4.923) and raising dogs in the house (OR = 2.444, 95% CI = 1.080-5.534).