High prevalence of Strongyloides stercoralis among school children in rural Côte d'Ivoire.

Two cross-sectional surveys were carried out in rural Côte d'Ivoire, the first in 5 primary schools in the Lake Taabo area, and the second in the primary school of Azaguié-Institute de Recherche sur les Fruits et Agrumes. Overall, 251 school children were screened for Strongyloides stercoralis by using either the Baermann method, or the Koga agar plate method, or both techniques. The prevalence of S. stercoralis at the unit of the school ranged between 4.0 and 48%. Because S. stercoralis is a neglected nematode, yet an important parasite from a public health perspective, surveys should consider the use of appropriate diagnostic methods to further our understanding of the epidemiology of strongyloidiasis and to better target control interventions.