scholarly journals Prevalence, Intensity, and Correlates of Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections after Five Rounds of Preventive Chemotherapy among School Children in Southern Ethiopia

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 920 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tigist Dires Gebreyesus ◽  
Tafesse Tadele ◽  
Kalkidan Mekete ◽  
Abbie Barry ◽  
Habtamu Gashaw ◽  
...  

Preventive chemotherapy (PC) is a WHO-recommended strategy to control and eliminate schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). We assessed the prevalence, intensity, and correlates of schistosomiasis and STH infection after five rounds of PC in southern Ethiopia. A total of 3162 school children from four schools in Wondo Gennet and Hawella Tula districts were screened for Schistosoma mansoni and STHs infection. The overall prevalence of S. mansoni infection was 25.8% (range between schools 11.6% to 54.1%), with light (19.1%), moderate (5.3%), and heavy (1.4%) infection intensities. A total of 61.6% S. mansoni-infected children were STH co-infected. The overall prevalence of STHs infection was 54.7% (range between schools 30.6–71.0%), with moderate-to-heavy intensity infections being 16.3%. Ascaris lumbricoides was the most prevalent 45% (95% CI, 43.5–47) followed by Trichuris trichiura 25.3% (95% CI, 23.8–26.9) and hookworm 6.1% (95% CI, 5.3–7). A total of 33.7% of STHs-infected children had A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura co-infections. S. mansoni infection was significantly associated with school and STHs co-infection (p < 0.001). STH infection was correlated with school and younger age (p < 0.001). Despite repeated PC, S. mansoni and STH infection remain significant health problems, and the WHO target to control schistosomiasis and eliminate STH by 2020 may not be achieved. Intensified control and prevention measures, including drug efficacy surveillance, is recommended.

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1076
Author(s):  
Joseph Kabatende ◽  
Michael Mugisha ◽  
Lazare Ntirenganya ◽  
Abbie Barry ◽  
Eugene Ruberanziza ◽  
...  

Preventive chemotherapy (PC) is a WHO-recommended core intervention measures to eliminate Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH) as a public health problem by 2020, defined as a reduction in prevalence to <1% of moderate or high-intensity infection. We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the prevalence, intensity, and correlates of STH after a decade of PC in Rwanda. A total of 4998 school children (5–15 years old) from four districts along Lake Kivu in the western province were screened for STH using Kato-Katz. The overall prevalence of Soil-transmitted helminths among school children was 77.7% (range between districts = 54% to 92%). Trichirus trichiura was the most common STH (66.8%, range between districts = 23% to 88.2%), followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (49.9%, range between district = 28.5% to 63.3%) and hookworms (1.9%, range between districts = 0.6% to 2.9%). The prevalence of single, double and of triple parasite coinfection were 48.6%, 50.3%, and 1.1%, respectively. The overall prevalence of moderate or high-intensity infection for Trichirus trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides was 7.1% and 13.9, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression model revealed that male sex, district, stunting, and schistosomiasis coinfection as significant predictors of STH infection. Despite a decade of PC implementation, STH remain a significant public health problem in Rwanda.


2018 ◽  

La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) estima que las principales geohelmintiasis —por lombriz intestinal (Ascaris lumbricoides), por tricocéfalo (Trichuris trichiura) y por uncinarias (Ancylostoma duodenale y americanus de Necator)— acarrearon en el 2010 en el mundo la pérdida de 5,18 millones de años de vida ajustados en función de la discapacidad. A nivel mundial, unos 820 millones de personas están infectadas por lombrices intestinales, 460 millones por tricocéfalos y 440 millones por uncinarias. Aunque cada especie tiene características específicas, para fines de control estas geohelmintiasis se agrupan juntas debido a lo siguiente: (i) son similares su endemicidad geográfica y los grupos vulnerables afectados; (ii) se tratan con los mismos medicamentos; (iii) se utilizan las mismas herramientas para diagnosticarlas; y (iv) sus repercusiones negativas sobre la salud humana obedecen a mecanismos similares (vinculados a la intensidad de la infección). Versión oficial en español de la obra original en inglés. Guideline: preventive chemotherapy to control soil-transmitted helminth infections in at-risk population groups. © Organización Mundial de la Salud 2017. ISBN: 978-92-4-155011-6.


Biosensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Priya Dave ◽  
Roberto Rojas-Cessa ◽  
Ziqian Dong ◽  
Vatcharapan Umpaichitra

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers saliva contact the lead transmission mean of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Saliva droplets or aerosols expelled by sneezing, coughing, breathing, and talking may carry this virus. People in close distance may be exposed directly to these droplets or indirectly when touching the droplets that fall on surrounding surfaces and ending up contracting COVID-19 after touching the mucosa tissue of their faces. It is of great interest to quickly and effectively detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in an environment, but the existing methods only work in laboratory settings, to the best of our knowledge. However, it may be possible to detect the presence of saliva in the environment and proceed with prevention measures. However, detecting saliva itself has not been documented in the literature. On the other hand, many sensors that detect different organic components in saliva to monitor a person’s health and diagnose different diseases, ranging from diabetes to dental health, have been proposed and they may be used to detect the presence of saliva. This paper surveys sensors that detect organic and inorganic components of human saliva. Humidity sensors are also considered in the detection of saliva because a large portion of saliva is water. Moreover, sensors that detect infectious viruses are also included as they may also be embedded into saliva sensors for a confirmation of the presence of the virus. A classification of sensors by their working principles and the substances they detect is presented, including the sensors’ specifications, sample size, and sensitivity. Indications of which sensors are portable and suitable for field application are presented. This paper also discusses future research and challenges that must be resolved to realize practical saliva sensors. Such sensors may help minimize the spread of not only COVID-19 but also other infectious diseases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian Ntono ◽  
Daniel Eurien ◽  
Lilian Bulage ◽  
Daniel Kadobera ◽  
Julie Harris ◽  
...  

Abstract Background On 18 January 2018 a 40 year old man presented with skin lesions at Rhino Camp Health Centre. A skin lesion swab was collected on 20 January 2018 and was confirmed by PCR at Uganda Virus Research Institute on 21 January 2018. Subsequently, about 9 persons were reported to have fallen ill after reporting contact with livestock that died suddenly. On 9 February 2018, Arua District notified Uganda Ministry of Health of a confirmed anthrax outbreak among humans in Rhino Camp sub-county. We investigated to determine the scope and mode of transmission and exposures associated with identified anthrax to guide control and prevention measures. Methods We defined a suspected cutaneous anthrax case as onset of skin lesions (e.g., papule, vesicle, or eschar) in a person residing in Rhino Camp sub-county, Arua District from 25 December 2017 to 31 May 2018. A confirmed case was a suspected case with PCR-positivity for Bacillus anthracis from a clinical sample. We identified cases by reviewing medical records at Rhino Camp Health Centre. We also conducted additional case searches in the affected community with support from Community Health Workers. In a retrospective cohort study, we interviewed all members of households in which at least one person had contact with the carcasses of or meat from animals suspected to have died of anthrax. We collected and tested hides of implicated animals using an anthrax rapid diagnostic test. Results We identified 14 case-patients (1 confirmed, 13 suspected); none died. Only males were affected (affected proportion: 12/10,000). Mean age of case-persons was 33 years (SD: 22). The outbreak lasted for 5 months, from January 2018–May 2018, peaking in February. Skinning (risk ratio = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.1–6.7), dissecting (RR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.2–7.6), and carrying dead animals (RR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.1–6.7) were associated with increased risk of illness, as were carrying dissected parts of animals (RR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.3–6.5) and preparing and cooking the meat (RR = 2.3, 95% CI 0.9–5.9). We found evidence of animal remains on pastureland. Conclusion Multiple exposures to the hides and meat of animals that died suddenly were associated with this cutaneous anthrax outbreak in Arua District. We recommended public education about safe disposal of carcasses of livestock that die suddenly.


Author(s):  
Silvia Di Meo ◽  
Enrico Bentivegna

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic represents an important risk factor for migrants’ health. Paul Farmer highlighted the risk of global health response in emergency conditions exacerbating global and social inequalities. We argue that this is the case for quarantine ships and migrants’ management during the pandemic. Every aspect of infection-control and prevention measures acquires detention characteristics in these situations. With emphasis to the evolution of the doctor-patient relationship and to the anthropological and cultural aspects that were established during the pandemic, this article aims to provide an integrated view where physicians and anthropologists collaborate to deepen the understanding of the topic.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophia Kindzierski ◽  
Welmoed van Loon ◽  
Johanna Theuring ◽  
Franziska Hommes ◽  
Eberhard Thombansen ◽  
...  

SARS-CoV-2 infections in childcare and school settings potentially bear occupational risks to educational staff. We analyzed data derived from voluntary, PCR-based screening of childcare educators and teachers attending five testing sites in Berlin, Germany, between June and December 2020. Within seven months, 17,491 tests were performed (4,458 educators, 13,033 teachers). Participants were largely female (72.9%), and median age was 41 years. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence was 1.2% (95%CI, 1.1-1.4%). Prevalence in educational staff largely resembled community incidence until the start of the second pandemic wave in mid-September 2020, when an unsteady prevalence plateau was reached. Then, infection prevalence in teachers (1.2% [95%CI, 0.8-1.8%]) did not significantly differ from the population prevalence (0.9% [0.6-1.4%]) but it was increased in educators (2.6% [1.6-4.0%]; aOR, 1.6 [1.3-2.0]). Irrespective of occupation, those that reported contact to a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 case outside of work had increased risk of infection (aOR, 3.0 [95%CI, 1.5-5.5]). In a step-wise backwards selection, the best set of associated factors with SARS-CoV-2 infection involved age, occupation, and calendar week. These results are in line with findings that teachers do not bear an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, while childcare educators do. Infection control and prevention measures need to be strengthened in child care settings to further reduce respective occupational hazards. At the same time, the private environment appears to be the main source of SARS-CoV-2 infection for educational staff.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-37
Author(s):  
Nikoleta Brankov ◽  
Daniel Bergman ◽  
Alina Goldenberg ◽  
Sharon Jacob

NA


Author(s):  
Endy Juli Anto ◽  
◽  
Leonard Kristian Sinaga ◽  
Jekson Martiar Siahaan ◽  
◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Background: Helminth infections remain endemic disease, mainly in tropical developing countries. Immunity against a number of helminth infections has been associated with anti-parasitic immunoglobulin-E (IgE). This study aimed to determine the correlation between total IgE level and intensity of whipworm infection in primary school children, Medan, North Sumatera. Subjects and Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at primary school, Tanjung Pura, Langkat, Medan, North Sumatera in Augustus 2019. A total of 19 students was selected for this study. The dependent variable was intensity of whipworm egg. The study subjects were selected by purposive sampling method. The independent variable was total IgE level. The data for dependent variable was measured by Kato-Katz technique. The total IgE serum concentration was measured by ELISA. Data were analyzed by Spearman correlation test. Results: There was a negative correlation between total IgE level and intensity of whipworm infection among primary school children in Medan (r= -0.64; p= 0.003). Conclusion: There is a negative correlation between total IgE level and intensity of whipworm infection among primary school children in Medan. Keywords: whipworm infection, IgE, children Correspondence: Leonard Kristian Sinaga. Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Methodist Indonesia, Medan, Indonesia. Email: [email protected]. Mobile: +6282361343969. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26911/the7thicph.03.76


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