Abstract. Opisthorchis viverrini infection is an important, human, parasitic disease along the middle and lower Mekong
River of Southeast Asia. Despite vast efforts in epidemiological research, the wide geographical variation in O. viverrini
prevalence remains unexplained. To investigate the potential influence of village location, prevalence data recorded during
the year 2009 for 90 villages in northeast Thailand were analysed by a geographical information systems approach based
on a digital elevation model for altitude determination. Land use compositions of village surroundings were derived from
images produced by the Thematic Mapper of the Landsat satellite and landscape metrics were applied to quantify spatial
patterns. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the associations between the environmental factors and O.
viverrini prevalence. In spite of no statistical difference (P = 0.117), higher-ground villages generally had a lower level of
opisthorchiasis than those situated lower down, while a significant negative correlation was detected between O. viverrini
prevalence and the composition of farmland with low water content (P = 0.028), indicating the potential influence of agricultural
lands with drought-tolerant crops. Strengthening this hypothesis, a significant positive association with O. viverrini
prevalence was found for the combined land use classes of water and of farmland with high water content (P = 0.032),
indicating that the dominance of a large land use patch capable of providing suitable habitats for the intermediate hosts
might contribute to the disease. This study highlights the influence of landscapes on the epidemiology of O. viverrini infection
and emphasises the need to incorporate land use planning into control strategies.