IVB Researchers Lead Parasitology Workshop in Lao PDR

Bethan Mason and Jana Kačmaříková have just returned from leading a workshop in Lao People’s Democratic Republic, in Southeast Asia. The ‘Introduction to Parasitology Workshop’ was a two-week course on coproscopic parasitology, established through collaboration with the French Institute of Research Development (IRD) for the opening of their new research center: the International Center for Research and Education on the Environment (CIREN). The workshop was attended by 14 participants, primarily Masters’ students of the Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute (Loa TPHI) but also veterinarians and doctors. The first part of the workshop focused on field sampling, where participants gained experience in collecting fecal samples from a range of animals from both Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife and Nakai National Park, including overnight stays in remote villages without internet or cellular signal – a new experience for many participants. The second part of the workshop then focused on laboratory work, developing the knowledge and skills for various methods of coproscopic analysis for gastrointestinal parasite identification.