Deworming Campaign in Eastern Afghanistan – Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites and Adoption of Treatment Strategy

Korzeniewski, Krzysztof; Augustynowicz, Alina; Lass, Anna

doi:10.4314/tjpr.v14i12.21

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 18 publications

(24 reference statements)

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“…The inhabitants of Afghanistan are an example of a community with a high prevalence of intestinal multiple infections. It seems that single diagnostic methods and single-dose chemotherapy (antiparasitic treatment with albendazole 400 mg or mebendazole 500 mg, common in the Third World) may prove ineffective in the elimination of intestinal parasites in the local population [19]. The application of multiple testing methods can improve not only the detection rates of infected patients (in this study by 11.2%) but can also help to eliminate multiple co-infections with helminths and protozoa using the right treatment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Diagnostics of intestinal parasites in light microscopy among the population of children in eastern Afghanistan

Korzeniewski

Smoleń

Augustynowicz

et al. 2016

Ann Agric Environ Med.

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Objectives. The Afghans, living in poor socioeconomic conditions, are estimated to be a community with a high rate of intestinal parasitic infections. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence and species of intestinal parasites among children's population in eastern Afghanistan and to present the methods of optimizing the techniques for identification of pathogens in light microscopy. The research was carried out as a part of humanitarian project Capacity building of health care system in Ghazni Province. Materials and method. The study involved 500 children aged 7-18 attending the Share Kona and the Khuija Ali High Schools in Ghazni, eastern Afghanistan in the period November 2013-April 2014. Three stool samples were collected from each patient at 2-day intervals, the samples were fixed in 10% formalin, transported to the Military Institute of Medicine in Poland, where they were pooled and examined using five different diagnostic methods in light microscopy (direct smear in Lugol's solution, Fülleborne's flotation, decantation in distilled water, Kato-Miura thick smear, and DiaSys/PARASYS sedimentation system). Results. Pathogenic intestinal parasites were detected in 217 patients (43.4%), with the most common Ascaris lumbricoides (35.3%), Giardia intestinalis (31.1%), and Hymenolepis nana (15.7%). The use of direct smear method allowed for the detection of intestinal parasites in 161 individuals. The application of four following testing methods has improved the detection rates of infected patients by 11.2%. Conclusions. The variety of detected intestinal pathogens in examined children's population has required the use of combination of multiple diagnostic methods in light microscopy, and finally improved the detection rates of intestinal parasites and helped eliminate infections with nematodes, cestodes, trematodes, and protozoa using appropriate treatment in the study population.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Diagnostics of intestinal parasites in light microscopy among the population of children in eastern Afghanistan

Korzeniewski

Smoleń

Augustynowicz

et al. 2016

Ann Agric Environ Med.

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“…Studies performed by the scientists from different international military medical services in 2002 and researchers from WHO in 2003 showed high rates of parasitic infections among inhabitants of Afghanistan (Scheid and Thoma 2004 ; Gabrielli et al 2005 ). More recently, our team performed microscopic examinations for intestinal parasitic infections on a large number of inhabitants, especially schoolchildren, of Ghazni Province (Korzeniewski et al 2014 , 2015a , b , 2016 , 2017 ). Faecal material was collected by Polish medical staff and diagnosticians working at the Forward Operating Base in Ghazni, with the aim of detecting and controlling intestinal parasitic infections in the local population.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The aim of this action was to prepare the scheme of deworming for the local population. Based on a microscopic screening study of this material, we showed a high prevalence of intestinal parasites in these populations (Korzeniewski et al 2014 , 2015a , b , 2016 , 2017 ). Examination of 777 children hospitalised in the Ghazni Province Hospital performed in 2012–2013 showed the presence of intestinal parasitic infection in 40.2% of them, with a predominance of A. lumbricoides and G. intestinalis (17.2 and 16.7%) (Korzeniewski et al 2014 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

First detection and genotyping of Giardia intestinalis in stool samples collected from children in Ghazni Province, eastern Afghanistan and evaluation of the PCR assay in formalin-fixed specimens

Lass

Karanis²,

Korzeniewski

2017

Parasitol Res

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It is estimated that faecal-orally transmitted diseases are common in Afghanistan, as a consequence of poor hygienic standards of life and widespread contamination of water and food with both human and animal faeces. However, there is little information in the literature concerning infections caused by intestinal parasites in the Afghan population. In this study, we report the occurrence of Giardia intestinalis assemblages (A and B) in formalin-fixed stool samples collected from 245 Afghan schoolchildren living in Ghazni Province in eastern Afghanistan. Detection of the parasite’s DNA and genotyping was performed using real-time PCR, specific to the β-giardin gene of G. intestinalis. Positive results were recorded in 52 (21.2%) samples. Genotyping was successful in 39 faecal samples and showed the predominance of assemblage B of G. intestinalis in this population (15 assemblage A and 24 assemblage B). Co-infection with both genotypes A and B was detected in four samples. Additionally, we evaluated the effect of 10% buffered formalin fixative on the detection of G. intestinalis DNA using real-time PCR and nested PCR characterised by different lengths of PCR products (74 and 479 bp, respectively). The human faeces containing the Giardia cysts were tested for 16 weeks. Amplification of G. intestinalis DNA with real-time PCR was possible up to 6 weeks of preservation of stool sample in formalin, compared to only 2 weeks with nested PCR. This suggests that real-time PCR is a more suitable tool in cases where stool samples have to be kept in formalin for longer periods of time.

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Deworming Campaign in Eastern Afghanistan – Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites and Adoption of Treatment Strategy

Cited by 2 publications

References 18 publications

Diagnostics of intestinal parasites in light microscopy among the population of children in eastern Afghanistan

Diagnostics of intestinal parasites in light microscopy among the population of children in eastern Afghanistan

First detection and genotyping of Giardia intestinalis in stool samples collected from children in Ghazni Province, eastern Afghanistan and evaluation of the PCR assay in formalin-fixed specimens

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