Hussein Aschalew, Alemu Megbaru, Ayehu Animen
Delgi Primary Hospital, Amhara National Regional Health Bureau, Amhara, Ethiopia.
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
J Trop Med. 2022 Aug 3;2022:4561561. doi: 10.1155/2022/4561561. eCollection 2022.
Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are among the most prevalent parasitic worms infecting humans worldwide. They are still a major public health concern in the developing world, school-age children being the most affected segment of the population. Soil polluted with parasite ova and/or infective larvae is a source of human parasitic infections. There is a substantial shift in the notion of sanitation in many countries, and control of STHs contamination in the environment is becoming an emerging topic of research. However, data are scarce on the extent of soil contamination with STHs in Ethiopia in general and the study area in particular.
This study aimed to determine the prevalence of STHs in soil, and school children and associated factors at Kola Diba primary school, Northwest Ethiopia.
A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 at Kola Diba primary school. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select 400 participants. About 150 soil samples were collected. A structured Amharic version questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic variables and the factors associated with STH infection. Two grams of stool specimen was processed using the Kato-Katz technique. Data were entered and analyzed using STATA version 14.1. Binary and multiple logistic regressions were performed, and < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
The overall prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths was 50.0% with (26.2%), hookworm species (16.5%), and (3.5%). The overall soil contamination rate was 13.3% with (9.3%) and (4.0%). No habit of handwashing after toilet (AOR; 2.2, 95%CI: 1.3-3.6, value = 0.002), no habit of regular shoe-wearing (AOR; 3.7, 95%CI: 2.1-6.2, value <0.001), untrimmed fingernail status (AOR; 4.3, 95%CI: 2.6-7.1, value <0.001), and playing with soil (AOR; 3.5, 95%CI: 2.2-5.7, value <0.001) were significantly associated with STHs infection.
The prevalence of STHs remains high among primary school children, with a considerable soil contamination rate. No habit of handwashing after defecation, untrimmed fingernail status, and no habit of regular shoe-wearing and playing with soil were significantly associated with the STHs infections.
土源性蠕虫是全球感染人类的最常见寄生虫之一。在发展中世界，它们仍是一个主要的公共卫生问题，学龄儿童是受影响最严重的人群。被寄生虫卵和/或感染性幼虫污染的土壤是人类寄生虫感染的一个来源。许多国家在卫生观念上有了重大转变，控制环境中土源性蠕虫的污染正成为一个新兴的研究课题。然而，总体而言，关于埃塞俄比亚土源性蠕虫土壤污染程度的数据很少，特别是关于研究区域的数据。
本研究旨在确定埃塞俄比亚西北部科拉迪巴小学土壤、学童中土源性蠕虫的流行情况及相关因素。
2020年在科拉迪巴小学开展了一项基于学校的横断面研究。采用系统随机抽样技术选取400名参与者。收集了约150份土壤样本。使用一份结构化的阿姆哈拉语问卷收集社会人口统计学变量以及与土源性蠕虫感染相关因素的数据。采用改良加藤厚涂片法处理2克粪便标本。数据录入并使用STATA 14.1版进行分析。进行二元和多元逻辑回归分析，P<0.05被认为具有统计学意义。
土源性蠕虫的总体感染率为50.0%，其中蛔虫感染率为26.2%，钩虫感染率为16.5%，鞭虫感染率为3.5%。土壤总体污染率为13.3%，其中蛔虫卵污染率为9.3%，鞭虫卵污染率为4.0%。便后无洗手习惯（比值比[AOR]；2.2，95%置信区间[CI]：1.3 - 3.6，P值 = 0.002）、无经常穿鞋习惯（AOR；3.7，95%CI：2.1 - 6.2，P值<0.001）、指甲未修剪（AOR；4.3，95%CI：2.6 - 7.1，P值<0.001）以及玩土（AOR；3.5，95%CI：2.2 - 5.7，P值<0.001）与土源性蠕虫感染显著相关。
土源性蠕虫在小学生中的感染率仍然很高，土壤污染率也相当可观。排便后无洗手习惯、指甲未修剪、无经常穿鞋习惯以及玩土与土源性蠕虫感染显著相关。
