If someone has persistent TB-like symptoms, they need to get tested for paragonimiasis since it is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis. Principal Investigator Healthcare Laboratory & Research Centre NHAK, Dr. V. Khamo said this during the launching program of the Paragonimiasis Diagnostic Test Kit & Paragonimiasis Awareness Program for North East India, at healthcare laboratory and research centre Naga Hospital Authority, Kohima on Friday. She said that diagnosis was simple, easy, short and cost effective.
Dr. V. Khamo, in her address highlighting the test kit, said paragonimiasis was a lung fluke disease caused by trematodes and it was a food borne infection transmitted via consumption of raw or undercooked crab or crayfish. She said paragonimiasis was a neglected disease–rare and region specific, common in Asians, Africans, and the Hispanic populations and the North East region of India. She explained that it affects an estimated 20 million people worldwide and more than 290 million were at risk.
She informed the gathering that in Nagaland, crab, crayfish and snails are taken as a delicacy or exotic cuisine and also taken for medicinal purposes. “TS Singh et al. 2009”, she said, was the first confirmed report and description of Paragonimus Heterotremus in Nagaland. Dr. Khamo said paragonimiasis is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis due to their similar clinical symptoms leading to wrong treatment.
She said the first case of combined cerebral paragonimiasis with pulmonary form in India was reported from Nagaland (TS Singh et al. 2011) and the survey by Das et al, from 2012 to 2013 in Mon district of Nagaland reported that 3% of the 96 patients receiving TB treatment in Mon were paragonimiasis positive.
Doctor Khamo highlighted the activities of the healthcare laboratory and research centre like awareness programmes on paragonimiasis for school children, teachers and churches. It also organizes CME/workshops among health workers, conducts surveys at villages, screens sputum samples from TB clinics and hospitals, conducts morphological identification of crabs, crayfish and snails harboring paragonimus in Nagaland and surveys food habits through questionnaires.
She also presented an overview of paragonimiasis in the state– Naga Hospital Authority Kohima detected 29.9% positive, community based survey at Razeba Village 6.8% positive, District Tuberculosis Centre of Kohima town 0.4 % positive, co-infection of paragonimiasis and tuberculosis 2.1% , patients misdiagnosed for TB 34.7%.
Dr. Khamo expressed the concern that more awareness on paragonimiasis needed to be created among the general public, especially clinicians, since it was often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis. She also explained that crabs, crayfish and snails needed to be properly cooked before being consumed.
Commissioner and secretary, health and family welfare, I. Himato Zhimomi (IFS), who was the guest of honour for the launching, encouraged doctors to continue their medical research work and strive to provide people with a healthy life which was, according to him, one of humanity’s basic rights.
Zhimomi lauded Dr. V. Khamo for pioneering the research work which was the first of its kind in the state and gave his assurance that state government would provide infrastructure for research activities. He said paragonimiasis was often a neglected disease in the medical college and urged doctors to step into more research so that we know more about harmful parasites, virus and bacteria.
Head of department (pulmonary medicine) Jorhat Medical College and Hospitals professor, Mihir Kumar Goswami, in his address, said lack of awareness on paragonimiasis was a big threat as it was misdiagnosed as tuberculosis in around 34% of the cases. He lauded Dr. Khamo for her initiative on paragonimiasis research and he also said that there was a need to create awareness on food habits to prevent this disease.
Earlier, the guest of honour launched the diagnostic test kit at the paragonimiasis research lab. The programme was chaired by managing director NHAK, Dr. Neikhrielie Khimia-o. The programme was attended by doctors and nurses of NHAK, four doctors from Assam, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh and others.