"Disease Control Department" reveals confirmation results of screening "liver fluke" among Mahasarakham University students, finding 4 infected cases
On 28 July 2026, Dr. Montien Kanasawat, Director-General of the Disease Control Department, revealed that as of 27 July 2026, follow-up testing was conducted on 4,233 individuals who tested positive by the OV-ATK urine screening test. Among them, 1,440 Mahasarakham University students submitted stool samples for confirmation. So far, 942 samples have been tested using the Formalin-Ethyl Acetate Concentration Technique (FECT), revealing 4 cases of liver fluke infection (Opisthorchis viverrini).
Additionally, other parasites were found, including 4 hookworm cases, 1 small intestinal fluke case, and protozoa such as Sarcocystis sp. (2 cases), Blastocystis sp. (1 case), Giardia lamblia (2 cases), and Entamoeba coli (4 cases), totaling 18 parasite-positive cases.
For Mahasarakham Rajabhat University students, 310 stool samples were tested using Modified Kato-Katz and FECT methods, detecting 17 parasite infections: 4 liver fluke (OV), 4 small intestinal fluke (MIF), 1 tapeworm, 2 strongyloides, and 6 tapeworms.
The Disease Control Department clearly mandates that all positive OV-ATK urine screening results must be confirmed by standard stool testing methods, Modified Kato-Katz or FECT, and only those with confirmed liver fluke eggs in stool are considered truly infected.
Furthermore, the Disease Control Department has coordinated with relevant agencies to establish unified guidelines for screening, confirmation, and use of scientific data to monitor the situation. The next steps include completing confirmation testing of remaining samples, ensuring infected individuals receive standard treatment, communicating accurate and continuous information based on confirmed results, and utilizing data for planning surveillance, prevention, and control measures to enhance public health efforts and build public trust.