Udonsi J K, Ogan V N
Department of Zoology, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Public Health. 1993 Jan;107(1):53-60. doi: 10.1016/s0033-3506(05)80493-7.
In a 30 months' longitudinal study, primary health care intervention was effective in reducing the prevalence of three common intestinal nematode infections (Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and Necator americanus) in three communities. This was achieved by training school leavers and auxiliary aides as microscopists, health inspectors and field assistants and deploying them to provide screening, surveillance, environmental sanitation, and mass-expulsion chemotherapy (MEC). Post-control surveillance confirmed that the prevalence of these infections had been greatly reduced. The prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides had declined from 49.3% (pre-intervention) to 10.5% (post-intervention). Hookworm had fallen from 31.4% (pre-intervention) to 4.1% (post-intervention) and whipworm from 40.7% (pre-intervention) to 6.5% (post-intervention). Overall percentage decreases of 78.7%, 86.9% and 84.0% were recorded for Ascaris lumbricoides, Necator americanus and Trichuris trichiura respectively. The initial decline in prevalence was due to the MEC campaign, but the improved sanitation and health education presumably reduced the reinfection rate. If the entire population participated, periodic repetition of the mass expulsion therapy campaign at appropriate intervals combined with continued attention to environmental hygiene and prolonged health education could bring these infections under control within a few years.
在一项为期30个月的纵向研究中，初级卫生保健干预措施在三个社区有效降低了三种常见肠道线虫感染（蛔虫、鞭虫和美洲板口线虫）的患病率。这是通过培训离校生和辅助人员成为显微镜检查人员、卫生检查员和现场助手，并将他们部署到社区提供筛查、监测、环境卫生和大规模驱虫化疗（MEC）来实现的。干预后监测证实，这些感染的患病率已大幅降低。蛔虫的患病率从干预前的49.3%降至干预后的10.5%。钩虫从干预前的31.4%降至干预后的4.1%，鞭虫从干预前的40.7%降至干预后的6.5%。蛔虫、美洲板口线虫和鞭虫的总体患病率分别下降了78.7%、86.9%和84.0%。患病率最初的下降归因于大规模驱虫化疗活动，但卫生条件的改善和健康教育可能降低了再感染率。如果全体人群都参与，在适当的间隔期定期重复大规模驱虫治疗活动，并持续关注环境卫生和长期开展健康教育，那么在几年内就可以控制这些感染。
