Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 5, 2026

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
10:57

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children

Published on: August 22, 2012

Geo-helminth infections in a rural area of Sri Lanka

S D Fernando1, H Goonethilleke, K H Weerasena

  • 1Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health
|August 4, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Yearly mass anti-helminth treatment reduced geo-helminth infections in Sri Lankan school children. Prevalence declined significantly, though reinfection likely occurred from untreated populations.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Intestinal helminth infections disproportionately affect school-aged children, contributing significantly to morbidity.
  • Understanding the epidemiology of geo-helminth infections in rural settings is crucial for effective control strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and incidence of geo-helminth infections in rural Sri Lankan school children.
  • To evaluate the impact of a two-year mass anti-helminth treatment program on infection rates.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 349 school children (aged 6-13) in rural Sri Lanka was studied over two years.
  • Stool samples were analyzed annually using direct saline smear; mass treatment with mebendazole was administered yearly.
  • Hematological indices, height, and weight were also monitored.

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of geo-helminth infections decreased from 5.4% in 1997 to 2.2% in 1998 and 2.0% in 1999.
  • The incidence density was recorded as 0.021 cases per child-year.
  • The decline in prevalence is attributed to mass treatment, while stable rates in later years suggest re-infection from external sources.

Conclusions:

  • Yearly mass anti-helminth treatment effectively reduced geo-helminth infection prevalence in this cohort of school children.
  • The study highlights the importance of sustained interventions and community-wide approaches to control helminth infections.
  • Ongoing transmission from untreated populations poses a challenge to sustained control efforts.

More Related Videos

Comparative Analysis of Automatic Fecal Analyzer versus Direct Wet Smear Microscopy for Detecting Parasitic Infections in Stool Samples04:57

Comparative Analysis of Automatic Fecal Analyzer versus Direct Wet Smear Microscopy for Detecting Parasitic Infections in Stool Samples

Published on: April 25, 2025

Helminth Collection and Identification from Wildlife09:37

Helminth Collection and Identification from Wildlife

Published on: December 14, 2013

Related Concept Videos

Amebiasis01:28

Amebiasis

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
Giardiasis01:12

Giardiasis

Giardiasis is a globally prevalent intestinal infection caused by the protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis (also known as G. lamblia or G. intestinalis). This flagellated protozoan is the most frequently identified intestinal parasite in the United States and worldwide. Transmission primarily occurs via the fecal-oral route, with infection arising from ingestion of water or food contaminated with cysts. Individuals in low-resource settings, international travelers, outdoor enthusiasts, daycare...
Anthelminthic Agents01:15

Anthelminthic Agents

Anthelmintic drugs differ significantly from antiparasitic therapies targeting protozoa, primarily due to differences in parasite biology. Whereas most protozoal treatments act on proliferating cells, anthelmintics are typically directed against mature, nonproliferative helminths. The therapeutic approach considers the helminth's reliance on neuromuscular coordination, glucose metabolism, and microtubular integrity for survival, reproduction, and localization within the host. Most anthelmintics...
American Trypanosomiasis01:22

American Trypanosomiasis

Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...
Toxoplasmosis01:28

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
Leishmaniasis01:30

Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is a protozoal disease caused by species of the genus Leishmania and transmitted through the bite of infected female sandflies. The parasite exists in two principal morphological forms during its life cycle. A sandfly acquires intracellular amastigotes from an infected reservoir host, such as a dog. Within the sandfly, these forms differentiate into motile, flagellated promastigotes. During a subsequent blood meal, promastigotes are injected into the human host, where they...