Status of soil-transmitted helminthic infection in Nepal

A retrospective evaluation of the status of soil-transmitted helminthic infection in Nepal during the period from 1985 to 1992 was conducted at the Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, TU Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu. An average of 6,537 faecal samples were examined each year for the presence of various types of intestinal parasites. The annual rate of positivity of these samples for soil-transmitted helminthiasis ranged from 18.0 to 36.6%. The annual incidence decreased every successive calendar year in both adults and children, irrespective of sex. Among the various types of helminths, the most common was Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworm), followed by hookworm. The incidence of A. lumbricoides remained constant throughout the study period, while that of other parasites markedly decreased each year.