Urban helminthiasis in two socioeconomically distinct Costa Rican communities

A survey on the prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and Hymenolepis nana was conducted in two adjacent, but socioeconomically distinct, urban Costa Rican communities: a squatter settlement and a community with access to modern sewage facilities. The prevalence of these infections was significantly higher in the former. Although squatter children (1-14 years old) were more heavily infected with A. lumbricoides and H. nana than squatter adults, the same pattern was not observed for T. trichiura. The results suggest that local community-based helminthic parasite surveys may more accurately portray the actual health status of socioeconomically diverse urban populations.