Lao – Japan lab / Parasitology 2024

Head of Laboratory: Dr. Moritoshi Iwagami, PhD.
Email: .

The aims of the Parasitology Laboratory are to carry out research and training in the area of medical parasitology to understand better parasitic diseases affecting the Lao population and propose ways to mitigate possible infections, and provide technical support to the national and sub-level institutions in the area of malaria and other parasitic diseases.

Executive summary

In 2024, the Parasitology Laboratory implemented the SATREPS project with partners in Laos and Japan. The SATREPS project is financially supported by two Japanese agencies: the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). The objectives of the SATREPS project are to accelerate malaria elimination, schistosomiasis elimination, and opisthorchiasis control by developing effective testing and infection prevention technologies, improving surveillance systems using communication technologies, and Ecohealth education. This year, we conducted 1) an asymptomatic malaria survey using LAMP technology in Nong district, Savannakhet province, 2) an environmental DNA (eDNA) detection study for Schistosoma mekongi and Opisthorchis viverrini in Khong and Mounlapamok districts, Champasak province, 3) an O. viverrini host snail identification, 4) a special snail feed study, 5) a study using LAMP system for O. viverrini detection, and 6) several baseline surveys for Ecohealth education for schistosomiasis and opisthorchiasis in Khong and Mounlapamok districts, Champasak province.

The asymptomatic malaria survey showed that 2.1% of villagers were asymptomatically carrying malaria parasites in the study villages. The eDNA study found O. viverrini DNA from some of the water samples, whereas no S. mekongi DNA was found. Our team first identified that a snail host of O. viverrini in the southern part of Laos was Bithynia siamensis goniomphalos, and the infection rate of O. viverrini in the snail was quite low (0.4%). The Ecohealth education team observed that health education for schistosomiasis has been implemented at schools and communities. However, in 30 secondary schools in the study area, 36.7% of the schools did not deliver the training content on schistosomiasis to the students after receiving the training. Health education for opisthorchiasis has yet to be fully implemented. Therefore, it is important for the populations at risk to conduct health education on schistosomiasis and opisthorchiasis.

Several trainings were also conducted for partners at the central and provincial levels, such as malaria PCR and LAMP training for the Center of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (CMPE), and the malaria LAMP system installation training for the local healthcare workers in the malaria endemic provinces (Savannakhet, Attapeu, Champasak, Luang Namtha, Bokeo). In October this year, the 14th National Health Research Forum was held in Vientiane for the first time in 5 years. The SATREPS project members presented the outcomes and some preliminary data and discussed them with partners and the audiences to improve the research and reach the project goals.

In 2025, we will continue the research activities mentioned above and implement Ecohealth education for opisthorchiasis in four target villages in the southern part of Champasak province. We also plan to evaluate a pulsed-power technology to kill or inactivate the metacercariae of O. viverrini in freshwater fish at IPL.

Plain language summary

Our Laboratory focuses on research and capacity development in Parasitology. This year, we conducted several field studies on malaria and neglected parasitic diseases in Laos with our partners in Laos and Japan under the scheme of the SATREPS project. The SATREPS project aims to improve diagnosis, develop new technology to reduce the risk of infections and provide evidence for policymakers to update the National Guidelines for the control of these parasitic diseases in Laos. In the malaria study, we found that 2.1% of villagers in the study villages were infected with the malaria parasite without showing any symptoms. This is called “asymptomatic malaria parasite carrier” which can be a source of malaria transmission by mosquito bite. We successfully detected liver fluke (Opisthorchis viverrini) DNA from the environmental water samples using DNA diagnostic technology in Champasak province. This technology can be used to create an infection risk map in the endemic areas. The Ecohealth education team conducted field surveys in the Schistosoma mekongi and O. viverrini endemic areas in the Champasak province. The team found that health education for the population at-risk for the parasitic diseases may not be sufficient and needs to be improved. We also conducted several trainings for molecular diagnoses of malaria and other parasitic diseases for researchers and healthcare workers in Vientiane capital and some hospitals in provinces, where malaria and other parasitic diseases were highly prevalent.

Team:

Head of Laboratory
Dr. Moritoshi Iwagami, PhD

Senior Consultant
Dr. Shigeyuki Kano, MD, PhD

Scientist
Dr. Phonepadith Khattignavong, MD

Junior scientists
Dr. Phoyphaylinh Prasayasith, MD
Dr. Parita Hansana, MD

Laboratory technicians
Mrs. Pheovaly Soundala
Mrs. Sonesimmaly Sannikone

Project carried on in the lab:

+ SATREPS project.