Prevalence, Intensity of Soil-Transmitted Helminths, and Factors Associated with Infection: Importance in Control Program with Ivermectin and Albendazole in Eastern Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

Evaluation of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) and implementation of additional interventions are required in the region of a filariasis control program, given that antifilariasis drugs also have a beneficial effect on STHs. Thus, this study determines the extensive epidemiology of STHs to improve their successful control. Stool samples were analyzed using the Kato-Katz method. Chi-squared and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to measure differences in infection rates and intensities, respectively, and logistic regression identified the risks of infection. The main intestinal helminths (A. lumbricoides, hookworm [N. americanus], S. mansoni, and T. trichiura) were found in the population. The overall prevalence of STHs was 19.5%. The prevalence of hookworm, the predominant species, ranged from 2% (n=6) to 28% (n=97). The overall prevalence of the other intestinal helminths was less than 6% (n=18). Intensity of hookworm was mostly light with a range from 1.6% (n=5) to 25.9% (n=90). However, the intensity of the species was significantly greater in Soribadougou compared to the other localities. Heavy infection was found in old children and adults but not in young children. Open defecation (OR=3.23, p≤0.05), dog/cat raising (OR=1.94, p≤0.05), farming (OR=14.10, p≤0.05), and irrigated culture (OR=3.23, p≤0.05) were positively associated with hookworm. It was observed that the participants missed the follow-up examinations due to trip (32.7%) or misunderstanding (15%) and lack of information (11.8%) of the purpose of the survey. Thus, to sustain the control of STHs, the MDA program should target the entire community and add education about the use of toilets, best practices of farming, and dog/cat raising.

Risk Factors Associated with Helminthic Intestinal Infection in Lurambi Subcounty, Kakamega, Kenya

“…This is in tandem with Mwandawiro et al's [ 11 ] survey in selected counties within Kenya, which showed a significant reduction of STH and schistosomes after repeated observation from 2012 to 2017. Ascaris lumbricoides was the most predominant etiological agent in this assessment which agrees with other researchers [ 7 , 17 , 18 ]; however, it disagrees with Halliday et al [ 19 ] and Loukouri et al [ 18 ] who recorded lower prevalence of A. lumbricoides in South coastal Kenya. Sang et al [ 20 ] recorded a lower prevalence of A. lumbricoides in their assessment at South Nyanza Kisumu.…”

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Infection with Soil Transmitted Helminths in Children from Bandjoun, the West Region of Cameroon

“…In contrast, Njunda et al [11] in Yaounde, the political capital of Cameroon and Tabi et al [12] in Tiko town, South West Region of Cameroon, found lower prevalences (2.5% and 1% respectively) than we did. A much higher prevalence of 19.3% has been reported among children in three communities of Dschang town by Fusi-Ngwa et al [13] and in other regions of Africa [14,15]. Differences in prevalence between studies vary in relation to geographical areas, and climatic conditions as earlier observed by Ratard et al [16].…”

“…It remains unknown why the prevalence of hookworms and T. trichiura were lower in the present study as the studied localities share the same climate. However, as we used the Willis technique which has lower sensitivity than Kato-Katz quantitative technique [20], which was used by Nkengazong et al [17], Fusi-Ngwa et al [13] and by Loukouri et al [15], this may partly explain the observed differences. The higher prevalence of Ascaris may be related to their thick shell, which seems to improve their preservation through time compared to other STHs [21] and renders them remarkably resistant to harsh environmental conditions.…”

Impact of annual and semi-annual mass drug administration for Lymphatic Filariasis and Onchocerciasis on Hookworm Infection in Côte d’Ivoire

“…It has to be considered that we did not repeat STH testing of infected individuals 2-4 weeks after treatment to assess cure and egg reduction rates. Barriers that could prevent individuals to be continuously included in parasitological survey would be the absence from the village, misunderstanding, and lack of information [40]. However, our study was not designed to assess drug efficacy, but to measure impact of an intervention (MDA for LF and onchocerciasis), and cross-sectional sampling was sufficient for this purpose.…”