Weight Gain of Kenyan School Children Infected with Hookworm, Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides is Improved Following Once- or Twice-Yearly Treatment with Albendazole

Abstract

We studied growth in infected children given one dose (600 mg) or two doses of albendazole per school year. Children were examined and allocated at random within sex by descending hookworm egg count to one of three groups: placebo (n = 93), one dose (1x, n = 96) or two doses (2x, n = 95). Each child was treated and then re-examined and treated 3.6 and 8.2 mo later (Exams 2 and 3). The 1x and 2x groups gained significantly more by Exam 3 than the placebo group in weight (1.1 and 0.9 kg more, respectively), percent weight-for-age (3.3 and 2.7 percentage points more), percent weight-for-height (3.1 and 2.9 percentage points more), percent arm circumference-for-age (2.3 and 2.0 percentage points more) and triceps and subscapular skinfolds but did not differ significantly from each other. The placebo group showed significant decreases between exams (P < 0.0002) in percent weight-for-age and percent arm circumference-for-age and no change in percent weight-for-height, whereas the 1x and 2x groups exhibited significant increases (P < 0.005). At Exam 3, arithmetic mean egg reduction rates for the 1x and 2x groups were 84 and 95% for hookworm, 42 and 32% for Trichuris and 55 and 87% for Ascaris, respectively. We conclude that one or two doses of albendazole per year resulted in similar growth improvements, despite reinfection, in school-age children in an area where these helminths and poor growth are prevalent.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with worm infestation in pre-school children (6-23 months) in selected blocks of Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, India

“…Others have found associations of infection with intake of ring-well water [19] and river water [14] which is inconsistent with what we found in our study. Probably, the hand pumps which are dug at the shallow level come in contact with raw sewage due to proximity with open drain/ canal, overflowing drains, physical contact with wastewater or with open defecation and public washing and thus provided optimum conditions for the survival and development of the eggs of Ascaris lumbricoides.…”

“…A Keynesian study also found that households without soap had a 2.6 times higher risk of being infected with Ascaris lumbricoides compared with households where soap was available. [19] Since a majority of the respondents in Gyanpur (97.3%, n = 472) and Murhu blocks (97.1%, n = 454) in our study defecated in the open air, we could not estimate any association between field defecation and positivity of infection in either blocks.…”

“…Risk of untreated wastewater discharge in spreading of geohelminths especially Ascaris lumbricoides has also been reported by others. [19] Preventive measures for safety of available drinking water and spreading awareness related to sanitation related behavior should be adopted to minimize the prevalence of worm infestation. Simple community based measures such as increasing public awareness about the drawbacks of open-air defecation, safe disposal of waste water and safe handling of drinking water can be used for easy and short-term results.…”

Association between geohelminth infections and physical growth in schoolchildren

“…The negative impact of parasitic infections on growth is observed in many studies that use different measurements and indicators of anthropometric status, such as weight [15][16][17][18] , height [19][20][21] weight-forage 16,22 , height-for-age 16 and weight-forheight 17,[22][23][24] . For these authors, infections act negatively over the genetic growth potential of children and adolescents, keeping them from reaching full somatic growth.…”

Malaria, intestinal parasites, and schistosomiasis among Barawan Somali refugees resettling to the United States: a strategy to reduce morbidity and decrease the risk of imported infections.

“…[24][25][26][27] High prevalences of intestinal parasites among local residents of East Africa have been documented by previous studies. Ascaris lumbricoides (26-35%), T. trichiura (79-92%), and hookworm (85-93%) infections are especially common among schoolchildren in the region, [28][29][30] and are known to contribute to malnutrition and developmental disabilities among infected children. [28][29][30][31] Based on the regional prevalence of helminths and prior to the enhanced health assessments, CDC recommended mass therapy for intestinal parasites with mebendazole (100 mg twice a day for 3 days).…”