Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis in Children from a Rural Community Taking Part in a Periodic Deworming Program in the Peruvian Amazon

Abstract

. Children in the Peruvian Amazon Basin are at risk of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) infections. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of STH infection in children from a rural Amazonian community of Peru and to elucidate epidemiological risk factors associated with its perpetuation while on a school-based deworming program with mebendazole. Stool samples of children aged 2–14 years and their mothers were analyzed through direct smear analysis, Kato–Katz, spontaneous sedimentation in tube, Baermann’s method, and agar plate culture. A questionnaire was administered to collect epidemiological information of interest. Among 124 children, 25.8% had one or more STH. Individual prevalence rates were as follows: Ascaris lumbricoides , 16.1%; Strongyloides stercoralis , 10.5%; hookworm, 1.6%; and Trichuris trichiura , (1.6%). The prevalence of common STH ( A. lumbricoides , T. trichiura , and hookworm) was higher among children aged 2–5 years than older children (31.6% versus 12.8%; P = 0.01). In terms of sanitation deficits, walking barefoot was significantly associated with STH infection (OR = 3.28; CI 95% = 1.11–12.07). Furthermore, STH-infected children more frequently had a mother who was concomitantly infected by STH than the non-STH–infected counterpart (36.4% versus 14.1%, P = 0.02). In conclusion, STH infection is highly prevalent in children from this Amazonian community despite routine deworming. Institutional health policies may include hygiene and sanitation improvements and screening/deworming of mothers to limit the dissemination of STH. Further studies are needed to address the social and epidemiological mechanics perpetuating these infections.

Evaluating the performance of diagnostic methods for soil transmitted helminths in the Amhara National Regional State, Northwest Ethiopia

“…The rate of STHs in the present study was 40.8% which goes in line with previous findings in the Amhara region (36.4%) [ 5 ]. The present study is also lower than the previous result recorded 52.4% in lake Hawassa [ 22 ], but this result is higher than the prevalence obtained 25.8% in Peruvian Amazon [ 23 ]; 5.5% in Zimbabwe [ 24 ]; 6.73% in Tanzania [ 25 ]; 16.2% in Kenya [ 26 ]; 14.5% in Jawi [ 27 ] and 36.2% in Bahir Dar [ 28 ]. These differences could be owing to differences in geographical, ecological, season of data collection and different diagnostics.…”

Evaluating the Performance of Diagnostic methods for soil transmitted helminths in the Amhara National Regional State, Northwest Ethiopia

“…The rate of STHs in the present study was 40.8% which goes in line with previous ndings in the Amhara region (36.4%) [5]. The present study is also lower than the previous result recorded 52.4% in lake Hawassa [22], but this result is higher than the prevalence obtained 25.8% in Peruvian Amazon [23]; 5.5 % in Zimbabwe [24]; 6.73% in Tanzania [25]; 16.2% in Kenya [26]; 14.5% in Jawi [27] and 36.2% in Bahir Dar [28]. These differences could be owing to differences in geographical, ecological, season of data collection and different diagnostics.…”

Prevalence of Strongyloidiasis in Peru: Systematic Review

“…The study populations were very heterogeneous: three papers included the adult population (over 15 years old) (9-11), eight were in children (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19), and nine studied both adults and children (7,8,(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26). One study included only people infected with HIV (9).…”

“…Among those designed speci cally to study S. stercoralis, 10 used the Baermann technique for diagnosis (7-11, 16, 19, 21, 22, 26). Seven studies used agar, Dancescu or charcoal cultures (7,8,11,16,19,22,26); two performed speci c serological tests (8,11); and one employed a string capsule/enterotest (27). Other diagnostic techniques used to detect the presence of larvae in stool samples included direct smear of feces in saline-Lugol iodine stain, spontaneous tube sedimentation, formalin-ethyl acetate concentration, and Harada-Mori lter paper culture.…”