Over 4,000 new students at Mahasarakham University have been found infected with liver fluke. The provincial governor has ordered the public health office to promptly inspect som tum and food shops after discovering that the younger generation favors eating fermented fish (pla ra), which may be contaminated with raw fish carrying parasites.
At 2:00 p.m. on 6 July 2026, at the Mahasarakham Provincial Hall meeting room, Mr. Chumphit Decharat, the governor of Mahasarakham Province, presided over a meeting to discuss organizing an event. "New Generation Isan People Free from Liver Fluke and Bile Duct Cancer" Dr. Danai Wangboonchai, manager of the Health Promotion Media and Arts Project at Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), and Associate Professor Dr. Nittaya Wannakit, Vice President for Student Development and Organizational Image at Mahasarakham University, along with officials from the Mahasarakham Provincial Public Health Office, attended the meeting to consult on organizing the activity.
Today, Mr. Suksan Sirisuriyasunthorn, head of the communicable disease control group at the Mahasarakham Provincial Public Health Office, presented an update on the liver fluke outbreak situation in Mahasarakham Province. It was found that from screening 20,000 people in the area, the infection rate is approximately 11%.
Meanwhile, screening of new students enrolling in the 2026 academic year revealed that out of more than 12,700 new students at Mahasarakham University, 4,233 were infected with liver fluke, representing 33%. At Mahasarakham Rajabhat University, screening of 1,922 new students found 380 infections, or 19%.
Governor Chumphit Decharat has instructed the Mahasarakham Provincial Public Health Office to urgently implement measures to address the problem, after discovering that the younger generation tends to eat som tum made with fermented fish (pla ra) that may not have been inspected or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This may involve raw fermented fish contaminated with parasite eggs, leading to infection. If left unchecked for another 15-20 years, these youths could develop bile duct cancer, causing serious harm to the nation's future.
Additionally, operators of som tum and other restaurants using fermented fish as an ingredient will be invited to participate in the "New Generation Isan People Free from Liver Fluke and Bile Duct Cancer" project, scheduled for 3 August.
“This is a serious issue that cannot be ignored, given the high infection numbers among screened students. The cause must be identified, which is linked to the food they consume.”
“If raw fermented fish is found to be the source, measures must be implemented to control its production to meet hygiene standards and be properly cooked to eliminate parasites. The public health office will inspect food shops, especially som tum vendors, to provide education. Shops that use cooked fermented fish will be allowed to display a sign stating ‘This shop uses safe cooked fermented fish’ to offer students and the public safer dining choices, particularly for som tum made with cooked fermented fish.”
Meanwhile, the Mahasarakham Provincial Public Health Office's chief medical officer will hold a press conference tomorrow.