Prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminthiasis in the city of Portoviejo (Ecuador)

Abstract

We studied the stool samples of 151 school children in a district of the city of Portoviejo (Ecuador) in order to determine the prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) It is estimated that more than 1 billion people in the world are infected by soil-transmitted helminths (STH) (Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm) (Crompton 1999). These infections affect most frequently children in developing countries and are associated with poor growth, reduced physical activity and impaired learning ability (Stephenson et al. 1990, Nokes et al. 1992, Adams et al. 1994, Koroma et al. 1996, Stoltzfus et al. 1996. Infection can only be definitely controlled by improvement in sanitation and living conditions, but in the short term these measures can scarcely be implemented due to lack of resources.Periodic treatment of the endemic population with a broad spectrum anti-helminthic drug has been advocated as a cheap and effective mean of reducing the worm burden and its related morbidity (Montresor et al. 1998). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a baseline survey in schoolchildren to determine the prevalence and intensity of infections (Montresor et al. 1998 ment should then be given according to the results of the survey. The whole population should be treated in case of high prevalence and intensity, targeted treatment is preferred in case of high prevalence and low intensity, whilst case management is the option of choice in case of low prevalence and intensity.Aims of the study were to compare the intensity of the infections with anthropometric indexes and to identify the recommended measures to control STH infections in an urban district of Portoviejo (Ecuador), characterized by poor living conditions and insufficient sanitary standards. MATERIALS AND METHODS

Schistosoma mansoni Infections, Undernutrition and Anaemia among Primary Schoolchildren in Two Onshore Villages in Rorya District, North-Western Tanzania

“…The two mainly affect school-aged children who are also the victims of parasitic infections. Studies have indicated that infections with parasites may exacerbate nutritional deficiency thereby greatly affecting their physical and intellectual development [10,11]. In the present study we investigated the association between S .…”

“…It has further been reported that, school age children is the group that is mostly affected by intestinal parasites and also suffers the greatest morbidity attributable to these parasites [10,11]. However, many studies that tried to examine the relationship between parasitic infections, undernutrition and anaemia paid much attention to geohelminths, leaving S .…”

Malnutrition and the presence of intestinal parasites in children from the poorest municipalities of Mexico

“…It has been estimated that A. lumbricoides is the most prevalent intestinal parasite in children under 5 years old in Latin America [3]. Recent reports from Ecuador [17] and Brazil [18], detected a prevalence of A. lumbricoides in school-age children of 63% and 65.5%, respectively. In contrast to the current report, a study by Morales-Espinoza et al (2003) showed that the most prevalent parasites in the Chiapas-Guatemala border region are E. histolytica/E.…”

Environmental contamination by canine geohelminths

“…Contrariwise, human seropositivity to Toxocara spp. has been put in relation with the contamination of soil with parasite eggs in some US areas [55], although actual risk factors for human infections may change according to different geographical and epidemiological settings [56,57]. A study carried out in a city of Brazil showed that almost all seropositive children had the behavior disorder of geophagy and that they played nearly every day of the week in public squares with a minimum contamination of 1 Toxocara egg/gram of sand [58].…”