Imphal, April 11: Joint International Tropical Medicine meeting, 2006 and 5th seminar on Food and Waterborne Parasite Zoonoses were held from November 28 to December 1, 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Dr T Shantikumar Singh, Professor and Head of Department of Microbiology, Sikkim Mahipal Institute of Medical Sciences was invited to speak on 'Paragonimus and Paragonimiasis in India' and also to chair the symposium on Food and waterborne parasitic Zoonoses.

Among the eminent scientists of the world who presented their findings of research works on food borne parasitic diseases, Dr Singh attracted the attention of the audiences by declaring his discovery of new lung fluke (Paragonimus) species, among others Paragonimus heterotremus as the causative agent of human Paragonimiasis in the world map.

He said, 'In India, it has been believed that one species known as Paragonimus Westermani is the only species prevalent and causative agent of lung fluke disease both in man and animals but it is not true now''.

His proclamation is based on his scientific research works on systematic, clinicopathology and animal experimentation of Paragonimus and Paragonimiasis.

His findings were supported by the results of joint Indo-Japan-Thai research on the molecular characterisation and phylogenetic analysis of lung fluke species in India, Japan, Thailand and China.

Further, Dr Singh recommended that Praziquantel, the drug of choice for treatment of the infection, should be given for five days instead of 3 days.

He said that relapse of the disease may occur in patients if the drug is given for 3 days only as generally prescribed and recommended.

Lung fluke disease or endemic haemoptysis or paragonimiasis is endemic in Asia, SE Asia and Africa.

Recently, the disease has been reported as an important food borne parasitic disease in the North Eastern States of India.

Infection is acquired by eating raw or uncooked fresh water crabs and crayfish harboring the infective parasite.

The main symptoms of the disease are cough, chest pain, difficulty in breathing and passing of blood stained sputum of frequent spitting of blood.

The clinical features and x-ray findings are similar to tuberculosis.

Hence, misdiagnosis and treatment of lung fluke disease for pulmonary tuberculosis have been the cause of great concern to the physicians and anxiety to the patients for a serious and in-curable disease.

The disease can be easily diagnosed and treated by careful history taking and proper investigation.

Dr Singh is the pioneer in the research studies on Paragonimus and Paragonimiasis in India.

He has been working in collaboration with Japanese scientists since 1990 and now Thai and Chinese scientists have joined him.

His work was initiated in the Dept of Microbiology RIMS and still continuing the collaboration.

Laboratory diagnostic facilities are now available in the Dept of Microbiology RIMS.

One may contact Professor Dr Ng Brajachand or Dr Ranjana for laboratory diagnosis and further information.

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