Prevalence of Enterobius Vermicularis Infections and Associated Risk Factors Among Schoolchildren in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand

Abstract

Objective: Enterobius vermicularis infection is an important public health problem worldwide, especially among schoolchildren in tropical and subtropical countries. The prevalence of E. vermicularis infections varies in each region of Thailand, but its status remains unknown among children who live in rural areas of southern region. This study aimed to evaluate the current prevalence of E. vermicularis infections and to identify the risk factors for infection among schoolchildren who live in rural communities in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Southern Thailand.Results: The overall prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was 5.79% (23 of 397). According to the multivariate analysis, the following were found to be risk factors associated with E. vermicularis infections (P < 0.05): male sex (AOR = 4.03, 95%CI 1.22-13.29), age group 3-6 years (AOR = 4.85, 95%CI 1.51-15.59), those having mother’s education level of primary school (AOR = 11.22, 95%CI 1.75-71.77), those having older sibling(s) (AOR = 6.25, 95%CI 1.83-21.26), those having younger sibling(s) (AOR = 6.24, 95%CI 2.00-19.44), those sometimes washing hands after using toilet (AOR = 5.25, 95%CI 1.24-22.21), those keeping fingernail long (AOR = 29.97, 95%CI 6.16-145.85), and those sucking their finger (AOR = 3.59, 95%CI 1.21-10.66).

Enterobiasis and its risk factors in urban, rural and indigenous children of subtropical Argentina

“…The three sub-population groups studied had a similar prevalence range of variability, but a statistically significant difference for the indigenous population. Importantly, the results showed that the gap between pinworm prevalence in children from urban and rural areas seemed to be minimal, coinciding with the global pattern reported in the last decades (Park et al, 2005;Pezzani et al, 2012;Moosazadeh et al, 2017;Laoraksawong et al, 2020). The accelerated and unplanned growth of urban areas, resulting in communities living with multiple economic and sanitary constraints, contributes to the propagation and maintenance of infectious diseases (Eisenberg et al, 2007).…”

“…no hand washing), nail biting and previous treatment were significantly associated with the presence of E. vermicularis. Host age is a determining factor in pinworm presence among children, consistent with recognition that enterobiasis risk is universally related to children's age, especially in the PSAC and SAC groups (Remm and Remm, 2010;Laoraksawong et al, 2020). Interestedly, although PSAC and SAC-age children were the most parasitized group, children under 3 years old showed higher prevalence, suggesting the importance of adding this group when assessing the epidemiology and interventions of entero-parasitosis (Pullan and Brooker, 2008;Worrell et al, 2016).…”

Haematological and Demographic Study in Children Infected with Enterobiasis in Al Diwaniyah Province, Iraq

“…The infectivity rate of E. vermicularis was relatively high (73.33%). This high infection rate can be explained by the inadequate personal hygiene that is more likely common in such kinds of communities [24]. Previous reports from some parts of Iraq have presented different infection rates of E. vermicularis.…”

Acute appendicitis caused by Enterobius vermicularis: Observations from a case report

“…Based on the literature, few cases of appendicitis caused by E. vermicularis have been reported in Asia and Canada [ 13 , 14 ]. Despite the widespread prevalence of this parasite mainly in the tropics [ 2 ], our patient was most probably infected in France based on her medical record. On the other side, the role of this parasite in appendicitis is still controversial as usually resected specimens show little or no histological signs of inflammation [ 6 ].…”

“…Enterobius vermicularis infection, a nematode worm of the class Secernentea known as pinworm, is the most common parasitic infection affecting about 200 million people worldwide [ 1 ]. It has a pervasive distribution including developed countries but is mainly prevalent in tropical developing countries [ 2 ]. It is the most common helminthiasis among pediatric populations [ 3 ].…”