Diagnostic Techniques of Soil-Transmitted Helminths: Impact on Control Measures

Abstract

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are common in the tropical and subtropical countries. The burden of disease is highest in endemic areas with limited access to good quality water supply and poor sanitary conditions. Major approaches to control and reduce morbidity caused by worm infections include the periodic deworming of pre-school and school-aged children with anthelminthic drugs. Population-based studies and individual patient management including interventional studies can only be successful when accurate diagnostic techniques are used. The lack of appropriate diagnostic tools providing accurate results concerning both infectious status and intensity of infection—as these two factors vary in regions of low infection intensities—is a major challenge. Currently, available techniques show limited sensitivity and specificity and as such, a combination of several techniques is usually used to diagnose the large variety of parasite species. The objective of this review was to describe the advantages and disadvantages of the different available techniques for the diagnosis of STH infections and to highlight their use in control programs.

Exploratory analysis of the effect of helminth infection on the immunogenicity and efficacy of the asexual blood-stage malaria vaccine candidate GMZ2

“…trichiura in stool samples, and coproculture was performed to detect larvae of hookworms and S . stercoralis as described elsewhere [ 28 , 32 , 33 ]. Urine (around 10 mL) filtration followed by microscopy was used to detect the presence of S .…”

“…The Kato Katz enrichment and microscopy was used to detect eggs of hookworms, A. lumbricoides, and T. trichiura in stool samples, and coproculture was performed to detect larvae of hookworms and S. stercoralis as described elsewhere [28,32,33]. Urine (around 10 mL) filtration followed by microscopy was used to detect the presence of S. haematobium eggs in urine [29].…”

Diarrhea, Helminth Infection, Dehydration, and Malnutrition Associated with Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Facilities and Poor Handwashing in Schools in Metro Manila, Philippines: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…We did not use an egg count-based measure because: 1) our study aimed to estimate disease occurrence, not infection intensity or egg distribution; 2) others consider egg counting to have low analytic sensitivity. 109 Another reason is because STH infection is endemic in the Philippines and public school children are expected, per DepEd policies, 110, 111 which are in line with the WHO 2017 guidelines, 112 to undergo deworming twice per year. Recently dewormed children may have no eggs or worms in their feces.…”

Agroclimatic Impact on Gastrointestinal Infection: A Mathematical Model

“…In rural Bengal, goats are mostly reared under free ranging system where sharing of common grazing field and common feeding areas or water bodies provide a convenient opportunity for cross-transmission of the parasite from other goats (homologous) and even from other species like sheep (heterologous transmission). The infective larvae are resistant to environmental factors and can survive for a long period [28,29]. Moreover, there is constant decrease in the availability of grazing pasture for the animals with rapid urbanization of rural bengal.…”