Prevalence and risk factors of strongyloidiasis among schoolchildren in Sabach Sanjal and Upper Badibou districts in the North Bank East Region of The Gambia.

BACKGROUND

Strongyloidiasis is a parasitic disease that mainly affects humans and is caused by a roundworm called . It is endemic in humid tropical regions that include Africa, Latin America and Southern Asia. Among the public health important soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) classified as neglected tropical diseases, is the most neglected. A study of schistosomiasis and STHs mapping was conducted and larvae were detected using the utilized diagnostic method; thus, this current study described the prevalence and risk factors of infection in districts of Sabach Sanjal and Upper Badibou in The Gambia.

METHODS

The cross-sectional study enrolled 851 schoolchildren, ages 7 to 14 years old. The participants were enrolled from 17 schools in Sabach Sanjal and Upper Badibou Districts. The WHO random sampling technique n/50 (25 boys and 25 girls) was used. Stool samples were collected from each participant and Kato-Katz smear method was used to screen for infection.

RESULTS

Out of the total 851 pupils, 76 pupils (8.9%) were positive for infection. The mean age of infected persons was 10.1 years (±2.2). The prevalence of infection was higher among females (9.2%) than males (8.7%). Rates of infection for age categories 7-10 years and 11-14 years were 12.4% and 4.2%, respectively. Rates of infection by districts were 12.3% for Sabach Sanjal and 7.1% for Upper Badibou. Schoolchildren from Sabach Sanjal were 1.6 times more likely to have strongyloidiasis compared to those from Upper Badibou (aOR = 1.64, -value = 0.058). Schoolchildren aged 7-10 years were 3.2 times more likely to have strongyloidiasis infection compared to the 11-14-year-olds (aOR = 3.20, -value <0.001). Schoolchildren who 'sometimes' have water or tissue after defaecation have more infection rate compared to those who 'always' have water or tissue after defaecation. However, this difference was not statistically significant (aOR = 1.36, p-value = 0.308).

CONCLUSION

The study revealed the prevalence of strongyloidiasis in Sabach Sanjal and Upper Badibou districts of The Gambia. Kato-Katz technique might be inadequate for detecting ; thus, more studies are needed to determine the true prevalence of the disease in these two districts through the combined use of highly sensitive techniques such as Baermann, Koga Agar Culture and polymerase chain reaction.