Adult population as potential reservoir of NTD infections in rural villages of Kwale district, Coastal Kenya: implications for preventive chemotherapy interventions policy

Abstract

BackgroundNeglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are major public health problems in developing countries where they contribute to suffering of populations living in poor settings. As part of a research project started in September 2009 in Kwale district, Coast Region, Kenya, a baseline cross-sectional survey was conducted in 5 rural villages to provide information on the status of NTDs, including urinary schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH), and lymphatic filariasis. This paper presents the results of a parasitological investigation among adults in the study villages.MethodsA total of 599 adults in the 5 study villages were tested for NTD infections in urine, stool and blood. The presence of Schistosoma haematobium infection was determined by the urine filtration method. The presence of STH in stool was determined by Kato-Katz method while filarial antigenaemia was determined using immunochromatographic (ICT) test.ResultsThe study revealed high prevalence of hookworm (41.7%) and schistosomiasis (18.2%) infections among adults in the study villages. Of the 599 individuals examined, 50.1% had one or more helminthic infections. There was low level of polyparasitism with helminthic NTDs in the study population with 9.5% and 1.7% of the participants having two and three infections, respectively.ConclusionsIn the current study, hookworm and schistosomiasis infections were identified as important infections among adults living in areas of high endemicity for these infections. Thus, if this section of the population is left untreated it may remain an important potential reservoir and a source of re-infection for school-age children treated in school deworming programmes. Therefore, there is a need to design novel strategies for preventive chemotherapy interventions that could allow inclusion of adults in an effort to reduce force of infection in high endemic communities.

Factors influencing community participation in control and related operational research for urogenital schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths in rural villages of Kwale County, coastal Kenya

“…A cross-sectional survey found the prevalence of urogenital schistosomiasis and hookworm infection among adult population in these rural villages to be 18.2% and 41.7%, respectively [10]. Kwale County is located south of Mombasa Island and borders Tanzania to the southwest and the Indian Ocean to the east.…”

Prevalence, risk factors, and clinical manifestations of schistosomiasis among school children in the White Nile River basin, Sudan

“…Another limitation is the lack of information on adults, preschool children, and nonenrolled school-age children. Recent reports have suggested that adults and preschool children are at risk of schistosomiasis and can contribute to transmission [30]; thus, a population based survey is required to provide an overview of schistosomiasis in the target area.…”

Parasitological Prevalence of Bovine Trypanosomosis in Kubo Division of Kwale County of Coastal: Baseline Survey

“…1) is situated in Kubo division. The populations of Kubo and Matuga division based on 2009 census were estimated to be 649,931 and 151,978 persons, respectively (Njenga et al, 2011). …”

“…Subsistence farming of food crops including maize, cowpeas and cassava is done mainly for domestic consumption whereas coconuts, oranges, mangoes and cashew nuts are also grown for both domestic consumption and as cash crops. The main livestock kept include cattle, goats, ducks and chickens (Njenga et al, 2011).…”