The work presented in this thesis focuses on trichinellosis, a food-borne
zoonosis caused by a nematode of the genus Trichinella, in Thailand. The
main objectives were to characterise human trichinellosis, determine its
endemic foci and characterise factors influencing infection in humans
and in the pig, which is an important domestic animal reservoir host of
Trichinella. The investigations comprised (i) a retrospective review to
characterise human trichinellosis in Thailand, (ii) a survey to characterise
factors influencing trichinellosis in pigs and (iii) quantitative and
qualitative studies to characterise the factors influencing trichinellosis in
humans.
An analysis of Thai national trichinellosis surveillance data between
1981 and 2008 highlighted the five northernmost provinces in the
Northern Region as particularly affected with trichinellosis. The
incidence of human trichinellosis in Thailand decreased significantly
during this period. Until recently, trichinellosis was found to cluster
significantly in these provinces. Domestic pigs and wild boar appeared to
be the major sources of infection.