Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis in Children from a Rural Community Taking Part in a Periodic Deworming Program in the Peruvian Amazon.
Am J Trop Med Hyg
; 101(3): 636-640, 2019 09.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31309921
ABSTRACT
Children in the Peruvian Amazon Basin are at risk of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) infections. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of STH infection in children from a rural Amazonian community of Peru and to elucidate epidemiological risk factors associated with its perpetuation while on a school-based deworming program with mebendazole. Stool samples of children aged 2-14 years and their mothers were analyzed through direct smear analysis, Kato-Katz, spontaneous sedimentation in tube, Baermann's method, and agar plate culture. A questionnaire was administered to collect epidemiological information of interest. Among 124 children, 25.8% had one or more STH. Individual prevalence rates were as follows Ascaris lumbricoides, 16.1%; Strongyloides stercoralis, 10.5%; hookworm, 1.6%; and Trichuris trichiura, (1.6%). The prevalence of common STH (A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, and hookworm) was higher among children aged 2-5 years than older children (31.6% versus 12.8%; P = 0.01). In terms of sanitation deficits, walking barefoot was significantly associated with STH infection (OR = 3.28; CI 95% = 1.11-12.07). Furthermore, STH-infected children more frequently had a mother who was concomitantly infected by STH than the non-STH-infected counterpart (36.4% versus 14.1%, P = 0.02). In conclusion, STH infection is highly prevalent in children from this Amazonian community despite routine deworming. Institutional health policies may include hygiene and sanitation improvements and screening/deworming of mothers to limit the dissemination of STH. Further studies are needed to address the social and epidemiological mechanics perpetuating these infections.
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Población Rural
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Suelo
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Heces
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Helmintiasis
Tipo de estudio:
Etiology_studies
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Observational_studies
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Prevalence_studies
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Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Adolescent
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Animals
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Child
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Child, preschool
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Female
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Humans
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Male
País/Región como asunto:
America do sul
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Peru
Idioma:
En
Año:
2019
Tipo del documento:
Article