Tukwarlba Isaac, Aninagyei Enoch, Mavis Puopelle Dakorah, Attoh Juliana, Duedu Kwabena Obeng, Kumi Justice, Ampem-Danso Eunice, Acheampong Desmond Omane
Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana.
Heliyon. 2024 Apr 2;10(7):e28529. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28529. eCollection 2024 Apr 15.
Mass drug administration of praziquantel is expected to reduce carriage in treated children in endemic communities. However, the effectiveness of this annual exercise has not been assessed in Ghana. Therefore, this study aimed to detect viable infection using point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) positivity as proxy and associated factors in children previously treated with praziquantel in an endemic municipality in Ghana.
This cross-sectional study was done in the Assin Central municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. School children, less than 16 years of age, treated with 40 mg/kg of praziquantel (treatment period: February-March 2019), provided early morning urine (∼40 mL) and stool (∼4 g) samples. Immediately, POC-CCA (ICT International, South Africa) was done, while ova were detected in formalin fixed samples using microscopy later. Additionally, participant's socio-demographic information and factors associated with infection transmission were collected from each child.
A total of 520 children participated in the study (males-51.9%, majority age range [9-11 years, 34.4%]). Overall, 244 (46.9%) were positive for urinary CCA with no detected by microscopy. POC-CCA positivity was higher in females (48.4%), children with 2-3 siblings (49.3%), children aged 6-8-year range (55.4%) and residents of Brofoyedur (52%). However, age ( = 16.1, p = 0.0003) and town of residence ( = 11.7, p = 0.019) associated with CCA positivity. Further, location of water body ( = 16.4, p = 0.008), frequency of water contact ( = 12.3, p = 0.015) and handling of the intermediate host ( = 5.1, p = 0.024) associated with POC-CCA outcome.
About 47% of the school children were positive for CCA, one year after mass praziquantel administration in the Assin Central municipality. Varied factors associated with the post-praziquantel administration POC-CCA positivity. This study should be replicated in other endemic areas to identify groups at risk of parasite persistence or reinfection to inform modification of control and preventive measures.
吡喹酮大规模药物给药有望减少流行社区中接受治疗儿童的感染携带情况。然而，加纳尚未评估这项年度举措的有效性。因此，本研究旨在以即时检测循环阴极抗原（POC-CCA）阳性作为替代指标，检测加纳一个流行市镇中先前接受过吡喹酮治疗的儿童体内的活感染情况及其相关因素。
这项横断面研究在加纳中部地区的阿辛中心市镇开展。年龄小于16岁、接受过40mg/kg吡喹酮治疗（治疗期：2019年2月至3月）的在校儿童提供了清晨尿液（约40mL）和粪便（约4g）样本。随即进行POC-CCA检测（南非ICT国际公司产品），稍后使用显微镜在福尔马林固定样本中检测虫卵。此外，收集了每个儿童的社会人口统计学信息以及与感染传播相关的因素。
共有520名儿童参与研究（男性占51.9%，多数年龄范围为[9 - 11岁，占34.4%]）。总体而言，244名（46.9%）儿童尿CCA呈阳性，显微镜检查未检测到虫卵。女性（48.4%）、有2 - 3个兄弟姐妹的儿童（49.3%）、6 - 8岁年龄组儿童（55.4%）以及布罗福耶杜尔居民（52%）的POC-CCA阳性率较高。然而，年龄（χ² = 16.1，p = 0.0003）和居住城镇（χ² = 11.7，p = 0.019）与CCA阳性相关。此外，水体位置（χ² = 16.4，p = 0.008）、接触水的频率（χ² = 12.3，p = 0.015）以及处理中间宿主（χ² = 5.1，p = 0.024）与POC-CCA结果相关。
在阿辛中心市镇大规模使用吡喹酮一年后，约47%的在校儿童CCA呈阳性。与吡喹酮给药后POC-CCA阳性相关的因素各异。应在其他流行地区重复本研究，以确定有寄生虫持续存在或再次感染风险的群体，为调整控制和预防措施提供依据。
