Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia.
Global Health Institute, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium.
Sci Rep. 2022 Mar 17;12(1):4586. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-08333-7.
Preventive chemotherapy (PC), the main strategy recommended by the World Health Organization to eliminate soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) and schistosomiasis (SCH), should be strengthened through identification of the remaining SCH transmission foci and evaluating its impact to get a lesson. This study was aimed to assess the prevalence of STH/SCH infections, the intensity of infections, and factors associated with STH infection among school-aged children (SAC) in Uba Debretsehay and Dara Mallo districts (previously not known to be endemic for SCH) in southern Ethiopia, October to December 2019. Structured interview questionnaire was used to collect household data, anthropometric measurements were taken and stool samples collected from 2079 children were diagnosed using the Kato-Katz technique. Generalize mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to assess the association of STH infections with potential predictors. A P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni in the Dara Mallo district was 34.3% (95%CI 30.9-37.9%). Light, moderate, and heavy S. mansoni infections were 15.2%, 10.9%, and 8.2% respectively. The overall prevalence of any STH infection was 33.2% with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 31.1-35.3%. The intensity of infections was light (20.9%, 11.3% & 5.3%), moderate (1.1%, 0.1% & 0.4%) and heavy (0.3%, 0% & 0%) for hookworm, whipworm and roundworms respectively. The overall moderate-to-heavy intensity of infection among the total diagnosed children was 2% (41/2079). STH infection was higher among male SAC with Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) of 1.7 (95%CI 1.4-2.1); occupation of the household head other than farmer or housewife (AOR = 0.5; 95%CI 0.3-0.8), middle [AOR = 1.1; 95%CI 1.0-1.3] or high [AOR = 0.7; 95%CI 0.5-0.9] socioeconomic status. Dara Mallo district was moderate endemic for S. mansoni; and it needs sub-district level mapping and initiating a deworming campaign. Both districts remained moderate endemic for STH. Evidence-based strategies supplementing existing interventions with the main focus of the identified factors is important to realize the set targets.
预防化疗（PC）是世界卫生组织推荐的消除土壤传播性蠕虫病（STH）和血吸虫病（SCH）的主要策略，应通过确定剩余的 SCH 传播焦点并评估其影响来加强。本研究旨在评估埃塞俄比亚南部 Uba Debretsehay 和 Dara Mallo 地区（以前未知为 SCH 流行地区）学龄儿童（SAC）的 STH/SCH 感染的流行率、感染强度以及与 STH 感染相关的因素，2019 年 10 月至 12 月期间，使用 Kato-Katz 技术从 2079 名儿童中采集粪便样本进行诊断。使用结构访谈问卷收集家庭数据，进行人体测量，并从 2079 名儿童中采集粪便样本。使用广义混合效应逻辑回归模型评估 STH 感染与潜在预测因子的关联。P 值小于 0.05 被认为具有统计学意义。Dara Mallo 区曼氏血吸虫的流行率为 34.3%（95%CI 30.9-37.9%）。轻度、中度和重度曼氏血吸虫感染分别为 15.2%、10.9%和 8.2%。任何 STH 感染的总体流行率为 33.2%，置信区间（CI）为 31.1-35.3%。感染强度为轻度（20.9%、11.3%和 5.3%）、中度（1.1%、0.1%和 0.4%）和重度（0.3%、0%和 0%）分别为钩虫、鞭虫和蛔虫。在总诊断儿童中，中度至重度感染的总发生率为 2%（41/2079）。与女性相比，男性 SAC 的 STH 感染率更高，调整后的优势比（AOR）为 1.7（95%CI 1.4-2.1）；家庭户主的职业不是农民或家庭主妇（AOR=0.5；95%CI 0.3-0.8）、中等（AOR=1.1；95%CI 1.0-1.3）或高（AOR=0.7；95%CI 0.5-0.9）社会经济地位。Dara Mallo 区曼氏血吸虫中度流行；需要进行分区级别的绘图并启动驱虫运动。两个地区仍然中度流行 STH。重要的是，应根据现有干预措施，结合确定的重点因素，制定基于证据的战略，以实现既定目标。
