Long Term School Based Deworming against Soil-Transmitted Helminths Also Benefits the Untreated Adult Population: Results from a Community-Wide Cross Sectional Survey
Background. Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are a public health problem in Kenya. The primary control strategy for these infections is preventive chemotherapy (PC) delivered through school based deworming (SBD) programs. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the inclusion of other at-risk...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2019-01-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Tropical Medicine |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/4151536 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832559367618035712 |
|---|---|
| author | Paul M. Gichuki Gabriel Mbugua Edwin K. Kiplelgo Tabitha W. Irungu Charles Mwandawiro |
| author_facet | Paul M. Gichuki Gabriel Mbugua Edwin K. Kiplelgo Tabitha W. Irungu Charles Mwandawiro |
| author_sort | Paul M. Gichuki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background. Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are a public health problem in Kenya. The primary control strategy for these infections is preventive chemotherapy (PC) delivered through school based deworming (SBD) programs. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the inclusion of other at-risk groups in the PC. The untreated groups in endemic areas have been shown to act as reservoirs for STH transmission. Few field based studies have focused on the possible benefits of SBD to the untreated groups in the community. This study sought to determine the levels of STH among all age groups in a community where SBD has been going on for more than 10 years. Methods. This was a cross sectional study where 3,292 individuals, ranging from 2 to 98 years, were enrolled. Stool samples were analyzed using duplicate Kato Katz thick smear technique for presence of STH eggs. Statistical analysis was conducted using STATA software 14.0 (Stata corporation). Results. Out of the total 3,292 stool samples analyzed, only 13 were positive for any STH. Of these, 12 were infected with Trichuris trichiura and one case was of hookworm. There was no Ascaris lumbricoides infection detected. Of the 13 STH infections, seven of the infections were of school going age (6-18 years), 5 were of preschool age (<6 years), and one was of adult age group (18>). More male (61.5%) than female were infected with STH. Conclusion. This study shows very low prevalence of STH among all age groups in Mwea, suggesting that long term SBD may also be benefitting the untreated groups in the community and thus the potential to achieve STH elimination in such endemic areas. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b1404b1c84884aa4bf9f122798e703b9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-9686 1687-9694 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Tropical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-b1404b1c84884aa4bf9f122798e703b92025-02-03T01:30:16ZengWileyJournal of Tropical Medicine1687-96861687-96942019-01-01201910.1155/2019/41515364151536Long Term School Based Deworming against Soil-Transmitted Helminths Also Benefits the Untreated Adult Population: Results from a Community-Wide Cross Sectional SurveyPaul M. Gichuki0Gabriel Mbugua1Edwin K. Kiplelgo2Tabitha W. Irungu3Charles Mwandawiro4Eastern and Southern Africa Center for International Parasite Control (ESACIPAC), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), KenyaSchool of Health Sciences, Meru University of Science and Technology, Meru, KenyaCenter for Biotechnology Research and Development (CBRD), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), KenyaCenter for Microbiology Research (CMR), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), KenyaEastern and Southern Africa Center for International Parasite Control (ESACIPAC), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), KenyaBackground. Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are a public health problem in Kenya. The primary control strategy for these infections is preventive chemotherapy (PC) delivered through school based deworming (SBD) programs. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the inclusion of other at-risk groups in the PC. The untreated groups in endemic areas have been shown to act as reservoirs for STH transmission. Few field based studies have focused on the possible benefits of SBD to the untreated groups in the community. This study sought to determine the levels of STH among all age groups in a community where SBD has been going on for more than 10 years. Methods. This was a cross sectional study where 3,292 individuals, ranging from 2 to 98 years, were enrolled. Stool samples were analyzed using duplicate Kato Katz thick smear technique for presence of STH eggs. Statistical analysis was conducted using STATA software 14.0 (Stata corporation). Results. Out of the total 3,292 stool samples analyzed, only 13 were positive for any STH. Of these, 12 were infected with Trichuris trichiura and one case was of hookworm. There was no Ascaris lumbricoides infection detected. Of the 13 STH infections, seven of the infections were of school going age (6-18 years), 5 were of preschool age (<6 years), and one was of adult age group (18>). More male (61.5%) than female were infected with STH. Conclusion. This study shows very low prevalence of STH among all age groups in Mwea, suggesting that long term SBD may also be benefitting the untreated groups in the community and thus the potential to achieve STH elimination in such endemic areas.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/4151536 |
| spellingShingle | Paul M. Gichuki Gabriel Mbugua Edwin K. Kiplelgo Tabitha W. Irungu Charles Mwandawiro Long Term School Based Deworming against Soil-Transmitted Helminths Also Benefits the Untreated Adult Population: Results from a Community-Wide Cross Sectional Survey Journal of Tropical Medicine |
| title | Long Term School Based Deworming against Soil-Transmitted Helminths Also Benefits the Untreated Adult Population: Results from a Community-Wide Cross Sectional Survey |
| title_full | Long Term School Based Deworming against Soil-Transmitted Helminths Also Benefits the Untreated Adult Population: Results from a Community-Wide Cross Sectional Survey |
| title_fullStr | Long Term School Based Deworming against Soil-Transmitted Helminths Also Benefits the Untreated Adult Population: Results from a Community-Wide Cross Sectional Survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long Term School Based Deworming against Soil-Transmitted Helminths Also Benefits the Untreated Adult Population: Results from a Community-Wide Cross Sectional Survey |
| title_short | Long Term School Based Deworming against Soil-Transmitted Helminths Also Benefits the Untreated Adult Population: Results from a Community-Wide Cross Sectional Survey |
| title_sort | long term school based deworming against soil transmitted helminths also benefits the untreated adult population results from a community wide cross sectional survey |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/4151536 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT paulmgichuki longtermschoolbaseddewormingagainstsoiltransmittedhelminthsalsobenefitstheuntreatedadultpopulationresultsfromacommunitywidecrosssectionalsurvey AT gabrielmbugua longtermschoolbaseddewormingagainstsoiltransmittedhelminthsalsobenefitstheuntreatedadultpopulationresultsfromacommunitywidecrosssectionalsurvey AT edwinkkiplelgo longtermschoolbaseddewormingagainstsoiltransmittedhelminthsalsobenefitstheuntreatedadultpopulationresultsfromacommunitywidecrosssectionalsurvey AT tabithawirungu longtermschoolbaseddewormingagainstsoiltransmittedhelminthsalsobenefitstheuntreatedadultpopulationresultsfromacommunitywidecrosssectionalsurvey AT charlesmwandawiro longtermschoolbaseddewormingagainstsoiltransmittedhelminthsalsobenefitstheuntreatedadultpopulationresultsfromacommunitywidecrosssectionalsurvey |