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Global Pediatric Health 2021. The World Health Organization recommends biannual deworming with single-dose albendazole for all children over 1 year in regions where soil-transmitted helminths...
. The World Health Organization recommends biannual deworming with single-dose albendazole for all children over 1 year in regions where soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are endemic. There are limited data from the Dominican Republic (DR) on the effectiveness of deworming programs. . Between January and June 2019, we enrolled 63 preschool-aged children at a community clinic in the DR. Participants received albendazole at enrollment. Stool samples were collected and examined for parasites at enrollment, 2 to 4 and 12 to 16 weeks post-albendazole. Caregivers were surveyed on home hygiene practices and children's symptoms. . At enrollment, 1 or more parasites were noted in 89% of samples. (68%) was the most common species, followed by (35%) and (8%). Two-to-four weeks post-albendazole, fewer than half of those with infections at baseline had cleared the infection. STH symptoms significantly improved between enrollment and 2 to 4 weeks. By 12 to 16 weeks after treatment, infections were as high as baseline. . Although limited by size and available technology, our study contributes data on STH in the DR. Single-dose deworming with albendazole did not reduce infections in our sample. As STH are the most common neglected tropical diseases and negatively impact children's health globally, further studies on both effective deworming programs and interventions to prevent STH are needed.
PubMed: 33796636
DOI: 10.1177/2333794X211002949 -
Anais Da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias 2023Enteroparasites are an important public health problem and the treatment seeks to cure and reduce transmission. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic...
Enteroparasites are an important public health problem and the treatment seeks to cure and reduce transmission. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of anthelmintic treatment in individuals living in a rural community area in Camamu, Bahia, Brazil. The parasitological diagnosis was performed by spontaneous sedimentation, Baermann-Moraes and Agar Plate Culture methods. A total of 212 individuals were evaluated. The most frequent helminth was Trichuris trichiura, 24.5% (52/212), followed by Ascaris lumbricoides, 21.2% (45/212), hookworms, 16.5% (35/212), and S. stercoralis, 4.7% (10/212). In the anthelmintic treatment follow up, T. trichiura infection presented the lowest parasitological cure rate, only 60.6% (20/33). Hookworm, Ascaris lumbricoides and Strongyloides stercoralis infections demonstrated cure rates of 70.5 (12/17), 78.1 (25/32) and 100% (5/5), respectively. Individuals who remained infected underwent a new drug therapy. The second parasitological cure rate for T. trichiura was 38.5% (5/13), and 66.7% (2/3) and 75% (3/4) for hookworms and Ascaris lumbricoides, respectively. Trichuris trichiura infection presented the lowest parasitological cure rate at this second evaluation. This reinforces the need to perform a follow-up of all treated individuals. The possibility of drug resistance denotes the necessity for studies to clarify the mechanisms and to evaluate new therapeutic approaches.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Follow-Up Studies; Brazil; Rural Population; Anthelmintics; Hookworm Infections; Ancylostomatoidea; Ascaris lumbricoides; Feces; Prevalence
PubMed: 37909545
DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202320230323 -
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2023Acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) due to helminths is a rare cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). Helminthiases often progresses insidiously, making diagnosis difficult....
Acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) due to helminths is a rare cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). Helminthiases often progresses insidiously, making diagnosis difficult. This was the case of a 72-year-old man, who presented with renal failure, itching and diarrhoea. Urinalysis revealed leukocyturia, microhaematuria and mild proteinuria. A full blood count revealed leucocytosis with eosinophilia. A stool parasitological examination revealed fertilised eggs of Tubulointerstitial nephropathy secondary to infection was suspected. A percutaneous renal biopsy was not performed since the patient refused the anti-platelet therapy discontinuation. Mebendazole, albendazole and prednisone therapy was administered. After worm eradiation and discharge, recovery from the parasitosis, absence of pruritus and eosinophilia, and progressive improvement of renal function were observed, strongly suggesting a causal relationship between infection and AIN. Parasite infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained renal failure because early diagnosis and treatment are necessary to avoid irreversible complications.
PubMed: 37370949
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13122054 -
Cureus Jan 2023Biliary Ascariasis occurs when Ascaris lumbricoides worms invade the biliary system. It may cause biliary obstruction, cholangitis, cholecystitis, or acute pancreatitis....
Biliary Ascariasis occurs when Ascaris lumbricoides worms invade the biliary system. It may cause biliary obstruction, cholangitis, cholecystitis, or acute pancreatitis. We report a case of a 37-year-old female patient who presented with a history of upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and weight loss for two weeks. Ultrasound showed dilated common bile duct with linear tubular echogenic structure in the common bile duct and bowel loops. Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio pancreatography (ERCP) revealed large adult worms confirming the diagnosis of Ascariasis.
PubMed: 36741635
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.33323 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Sep 2021The treatment coverage of control programs providing benzimidazole (BZ) drugs to eliminate the morbidity caused by soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) is unprecedently...
BACKGROUND
The treatment coverage of control programs providing benzimidazole (BZ) drugs to eliminate the morbidity caused by soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) is unprecedently high. This high drug pressure may result in the development of BZ resistance in STHs and so there is an urgent need for surveillance systems detecting molecular markers associated with BZ resistance. A critical prerequisite to develop such systems is an understanding of the gene family encoding β-tubulin proteins, the principal targets of BZ drugs.
METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
First, the β-tubulin gene families of Ascaris lumbricoides and Ascaris suum were characterized through the analysis of published genomes. Second, RNA-seq and RT-PCR analyses on cDNA were applied to determine the transcription profiles of the different gene family members. The results revealed that Ascaris species have at least seven different β-tubulin genes of which two are highly expressed during the entire lifecycle. Third, deep amplicon sequencing was performed on these two genes in more than 200 adult A. lumbricoides (Ethiopia and Tanzania) and A. suum (Belgium) worms, to investigate the intra- and inter-species genetic diversity and the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are associated with BZ resistance in other helminth species; F167Y (TTC>TAC or TTT>TAT), E198A (GAA>GCA or GAG>GCG), E198L (GAA>TTA) and F200Y (TTC>TAC or TTT>TAT). These particular SNPs were absent in the two investigated genes in all three Ascaris populations.
SIGNIFICANCE
This study demonstrated the presence of at least seven β-tubulin genes in Ascaris worms. A new nomenclature was proposed and prioritization of genes for future BZ resistance research was discussed. This is the first comprehensive description of the β-tubulin gene family in Ascaris and provides a framework to investigate the prevalence and potential role of β-tubulin sequence polymorphisms in BZ resistance in a more systematic manner than previously possible.
Topics: Animals; Anthelmintics; Ascariasis; Ascaris lumbricoides; Ascaris suum; Benzimidazoles; Drug Resistance; Humans; Tubulin
PubMed: 34570778
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009777 -
Parasites & Vectors Nov 2022The Geshiyaro project is a 5-year intervention to assess the impact of community- and school-based water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) interventions on reducing...
BACKGROUND
The Geshiyaro project is a 5-year intervention to assess the impact of community- and school-based water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) interventions on reducing infection with soil-transmitted helminths (STH) and schistosome parasites in combination with deworming in Wolayita zone, Ethiopia.
METHODS
A population-based, cross-sectional census and parasitological mapping activity was conducted between 2018 and 2019. Individuals in the census were identified using either a registered study ID card or biometric fingerprint to enable linkage of their household WaSH data with baseline STH and schistosome prevalence for risk analysis.
RESULTS
Prevalence of STH was 15.5% for any STH species, 9.47% for Ascaris lumbricoides, 1.78% for Trichuris trichiura, and 7.24% for hookworm. Intestinal schistosomiasis (Schistosoma mansoni) infection prevalence was 0.85% by Kato Katz, 21.6% by POC-CCA trace positive (Tr +), and 13.3% trace negative (Tr-). Microhaematuria was 2.77%, with 0.13% of people examined with S. haematobium eggs detected by urine filtration. At the household level, increased (> 30 min) time taken to collect drinking water, sharing a latrine, and lack of handwashing facilities were all associated with a greater risk of A. lumbricoides, hookworm, and S. mansoni infection. Not disposing of infant stool at the household and clothes washing/recreational freshwater contact were significantly associated with higher risk of schistosomiasis infection. Aggregating WaSH data at the community level showed odds of A. lumbricoides, hookworm, and T. trichiura infection were significantly lower as both community sanitation coverage and access to improved drinking water improved.
CONCLUSIONS
The principal finding of this study is that lack of access to WaSH, such as improved drinking water and shared toilet and hand-washing facilities, were linked to an increased risk of infection with STH and schistosome parasites. These associations are difficult to establish at an individual household level because of wide variability in access between houses but are detectable when coverage is aggregated at the community level. Maintenance of WaSH facilities as well as increased access within the whole community is important in influencing the community-wide prevalence of infection with STH and schistosome parasites.
Topics: Infant; Animals; Humans; Sanitation; Soil; Prevalence; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drinking Water; Ethiopia; Hygiene; Helminths; Hookworm Infections; Ancylostomatoidea; Schistosoma mansoni; Feces; Schistosomatidae; Helminthiasis
PubMed: 36333779
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05465-7 -
PloS One 2022In Malaysia, soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections still persist among indigenous communities. In the past, local studies have focused mostly on epidemiologic...
In Malaysia, soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections still persist among indigenous communities. In the past, local studies have focused mostly on epidemiologic aspects of STH infections with a scarcity of information on the efficacy of deworming treatment. The present study consisted of 2 phases: a cross-sectional phase on current epidemiological status and risk factors of STH infections and a longitudinal study over 6 weeks on triple dose albendazole efficacy against STH infections. A total of 253 participants were recruited at baseline and a pre-tested questionnaire was administered to obtain information on socio-demographics, environmental and behavioural risk factors. Stool samples were evaluated using a modified Kato-Katz technique. Cure rate (CR) and egg reduction rate (ERR) were assessed at 3 weeks following a 3-day course of 400mg albendazole treatment and infection status were observed again at 6 weeks. Baseline positivity of trichuriasis, ascariasis and hookworm infections were 56.1%, 11.9% and 20.2%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed age below 18 years old (P = 0.004), without latrine in house (P = 0.042) and indiscriminate defecation (P = 0.032) were associated with STH infections. In the longitudinal study (N = 89), CR for trichuriasis was 64.6%, while CR of 100% was observed for both ascariasis and hookworm. ERR was above 90% for all three STH species. A rapid increased of Trichuris trichiura egg output was observed at 6 weeks. In conclusion, STH infections are highly prevalent among indigenous communities. Children and teenagers, poor sanitation and hygiene behaviour were determinants for STH infections. Triple dose albendazole is found to be efficacious against Ascaris lumbricoides and hookworm infections but has moderate curative effect with high ERR against T. trichiura. Although triple dose albendazole regimen has logistic challenges and may not be a routine option, consideration of this treatment regime may still be necessary in selective communities to reduce high intensity of T. trichiura infection.
Topics: Adolescent; Albendazole; Animals; Anthelmintics; Ascariasis; Ascaris lumbricoides; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Feces; Helminthiasis; Hookworm Infections; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Soil; Trichuriasis; Trichuris
PubMed: 35960935
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272821 -
Infectious Diseases of Poverty Mar 2022Achieving the elimination of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections requires a sufficient understanding of the current epidemiological status of STH endemicity. We...
BACKGROUND
Achieving the elimination of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections requires a sufficient understanding of the current epidemiological status of STH endemicity. We aimed to examine the status of STH in Myanmar - a country with the eighth highest STH prevalence in the world, 10 years after instigation of the national deworming programme.
METHODS
In August 2016 we screened for STH infections using Kato Katz (KK) microscopy and real-time PCR (qPCR) in schoolchildren from the Bago Region township of Phyu, a STH sentinel site in Myanmar. Ten schools were randomly selected, and one stool sample each from a total of 264 students was examined. Prevalence and intensity of infection were calculated for each STH.
RESULTS
High prevalence of STH was identified in the study area with 78.8% of the schoolchildren infected with at least one STH by qPCR, and 33.3% by KK. The most prevalent STH was Trichuris trichiura, diagnosed by both KK (26.1%) and qPCR (67.1%), followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (15.5% KK; 54.9% qPCR). No hookworm infections were identified by KK; however, the qPCR analysis showed a high prevalence of Ancylostoma sp. infection (29.6%) with few Necator americanus (1.1%) infections.
CONCLUSIONS
Despite bi-annual deworming of schoolchildren in the fourth-grade and below, STH prevalence remains stubbornly high. These results informed the expansion of the Myanmar National STH control programme to include all school-aged children by the Ministry of Health and Sports in 2017, however further expansion to the whole community should be considered along with improving sanitation and hygiene measures. This would be augmented by rigorous monitoring and evaluation, including national prevalence surveys.
Topics: Animals; Ascaris lumbricoides; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Myanmar; Prevalence; Soil
PubMed: 35272701
DOI: 10.1186/s40249-022-00952-6 -
Nutrients Nov 2022Sub-Saharan Africa is burdened with helminthiasis and HIV/AIDS, and there is a significant overlap between these infections. However, little is known about the extent of...
Sub-Saharan Africa is burdened with helminthiasis and HIV/AIDS, and there is a significant overlap between these infections. However, little is known about the extent of anaemia and malnutrition in HIV/AIDS and helminth coinfected adults. The study investigated the anaemia profiles and nutritional status of HIV and helminth coinfected adult South Africans. Stool samples were collected from participants (N = 414) for parasite detection using the Kato−Katz and Mini Parasep® SF techniques. Blood was collected to determine participants’ HIV status, micro- and macronutrients, haematological parameters, and Ascaris lumbricoides-specific IgE and IgG4 levels. Thereafter, participants were stratified into single infection (HIV or helminths), coinfection, and uninfected controls (no HIV and helminth) groups. The majority (74.9%) of participants had CD4 counts of >500 cells/μL, indicating no significant immunosupression. The coinfected group had an overall anaemia prevalence of 16.9%, which was lower than that of the HIV-infected group (44.6%) and higher than helminth infected group (15.4%). Overall helminth prevalence was 33%, with Ascaris lumbricoides being the most prevalent. The coinfected group also had lower vitamin A (p = 0.0107), calcium (p = 0.0002), and albumin (p < 0.0001) levels compared to HIV/helminth uninfected controls. Unexpectedly, the coinfected group had the highest serum iron levels, followed by the helminth-infected and control groups, both of which had similar iron levels, and finally, the HIV-infected group, which had the lowest iron levels (p = 0.04). Coinfected adults may be prone to micronutrient deficiency and anaemia. Further research and intervention programmes are required in this neglected field.
Topics: Adult; Animals; Humans; Nutritional Status; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Helminths; Coinfection; Helminthiasis; Anemia; Prevalence; Immunoglobulin E; Iron; Feces
PubMed: 36501001
DOI: 10.3390/nu14234970 -
Life (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2023There is little evidence that the already described and accepted taxa of ascarids (, , and ) infecting individuals of taxonomically distant groups (hominids, pigs,...
There is little evidence that the already described and accepted taxa of ascarids (, , and ) infecting individuals of taxonomically distant groups (hominids, pigs, sheep, goats, and dogs) can be genetically or morphologically distinguished. However, despite described morphological differences, e.g., due to intraspecific variation, these are insufficient for species determination and may indicate differences amongst ascarids because of cross infections, hybrid production, and specific adaptations to hosts. Herein, the results of a molecular and morphological analysis of ascarids parasitising Sumatran orangutans ( Lesson, 1827) in native populations are presented. The research took place in the Bukit Lawang area, Indonesia, in 2009. Throughout the year, fresh faecal samples were collected regularly from 24 orangutans, and all were examined for the presence of nematode adults. Only five adult worms from two orangutan females were found during regular collection. Using the integrative taxonomic approach, the nematodes found were identified as . The significance of the find and its rarity is documented by the fact that this is the first confirmed finding of adult ascarids from an original orangutan site (not from a zoo) in more than 130 years (including the long-term study spanning the last 20 years focusing on orangutan parasites and natural antiparasitic drugs). More accurate morphometric parameters and genetic differences for the identification of ascarids were established. These parameters will be helpful for other findings in great apes and will also be suitable for further and precise determination of this parasite. The details distinguishing between male and female specimens are also stated and well defined. A comprehensive evaluation of the situation of species parasitising orangutans, including a comparison with previously described orangutan parasite (i.e., -species inquirenda), is discussed.
PubMed: 37109546
DOI: 10.3390/life13041016