Southeast Asia: Hotspot for parasitic infections

Abstract

Southeast Asia (SEA) located between India and China is a thriving subregion of Asia blessed with highly diverse flora and fauna, covering an area of approximately 4 million km, and is inhabited by approximately 600 million people. The interconnected driving forces of rapid urbanisation, exponential population growth and mobility in SEA have crucial public health implications. Given its rich biodiversity, SEA is the hotspot region for parasitic infections, in particular, zoonotic and vector-borne diseases. Hitherto, there has been no collective systematic appraisal of parasitic infections and their vectors in Southeast Asia. For these reasons, this book presents a comprehensive review of all the accessible information/data and publications for the 11 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which include Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam and Timor-Leste (observer). A better understanding of these infections would assist in formulating a solid scientific framework/platform for future integrated research in the field of parasitic infections. This effort may spearhead a consolidated regional effort in the field of public health and prepare the region as it launches into a borderless trade in 2015 with the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).