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

Renato A Errea1,2, George Vasquez-Rios3,1, Maria L Calderon4

  • 1Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Alexander von Humboldt," Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
|July 17, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) remain prevalent in Peruvian Amazon children despite deworming. Key risk factors include young age, walking barefoot, and maternal STH infection, highlighting the need for improved sanitation and maternal screening.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health
  • Parasitology

Background:

  • Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) pose a significant health risk to children in the Peruvian Amazon Basin.
  • Existing school-based deworming programs using mebendazole may not be fully effective in controlling STH transmission.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of STH infections in children in a rural Peruvian Amazonian community.
  • To identify epidemiological risk factors contributing to the persistence of STH infections despite deworming efforts.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of stool samples from 124 children (aged 2-14 years) and their mothers using direct smear, Kato-Katz, spontaneous sedimentation, Baermann's method, and agar plate culture.
  • Collection of epidemiological data through questionnaires, focusing on sanitation and household factors.
  • Statistical analysis to identify significant risk factors and associations (e.g., Odds Ratio, Confidence Intervals).

Main Results:

  • Overall STH prevalence was 25.8% in children, with individual rates: Ascaris lumbricoides (16.1%), Strongyloides stercoralis (10.5%), hookworm (1.6%), and Trichuris trichiura (1.6%).
  • Higher prevalence of common STH (A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, hookworm) was observed in younger children (2-5 years) compared to older children (31.6% vs. 12.8%, P=0.01).
  • Walking barefoot (OR=3.28) and concurrent maternal STH infection (36.4% vs. 14.1%, P=0.02) were significantly associated with STH infection in children.

Conclusions:

  • STH infections remain highly prevalent in this Amazonian community's children, indicating limitations in current deworming strategies.
  • Improved hygiene, sanitation, and targeted screening/deworming of mothers are recommended to reduce STH transmission.
  • Further research is necessary to understand the complex social and epidemiological factors driving STH perpetuation.

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