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Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
Published on: August 22, 2012
Soil-Transmitted Helminths in Tropical Australia and Asia
Catherine A Gordon1, Johanna Kurscheid2, Malcolm K Jones3
1QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Queensland 4006, Australia. Catherine.Gordon@qimrberghofer.edu.au.
Abstract:
Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) infect 2 billion people worldwide including significant numbers in South-East Asia (SEA). In Australia, STH are of less concern; however, indigenous communities are endemic for STH, including Strongyloides stercoralis, as well as for serious clinical infections due to other helminths such as Toxocara spp. The zoonotic hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum is also present in Australia and SEA, and may contribute to human infections particularly among pet owners. High human immigration rates to Australia from SEA, which is highly endemic for STH Strongyloides and Toxocara, has resulted in a high prevalence of these helminthic infections in immigrant communities, particularly since such individuals are not screened for worm infections upon entry. In this review, we consider the current state of STH infections in Australia and SEA.
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