Hookworm infection and reinfection following treatment among Orang Asli children.
In hookworm endemic areas where sanitation is often wanting, reinfection of treated children is a problem. This study was conducted to enumerate the prevalence and the reinfection rate of hookworm in 193 Orang Asli children following treatment with stat dose of 400mg of albendazole at 2 and 4 months post-treatment. All samples were examined using the Kato-Katz and Harada Mori techniques. The overall initial prevalence was 31.0%, with 27.0% in males and 34.0% in females although there was no statistical difference. Only 7.0% of the children had moderate intensity of infection. The overall infection rate at 2 and 4 months post-treatment was 11.0% and 8.0%. New cases were detected at 1.0% and 5.0% at 2 and 4 months post-treatment period. Reinfection rate 2 months post-treatment was 24.0%, and it was 30.0%, 4 months after treatment. All infection at 2 and 4 months post-treatment were light. Long-term strategies incorporating health education on personal hygiene, provision of toilets and safe water supply need to be adopted in these Orang Asli villages to control rapid reinfection.
Norhayati
M
M
Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala, Lumpur.
Oothuman
P
P
Fatmah
M S
MS
Muzain Minudin
Y
Y
Zainuddin
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006725:Hookworm Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012008:Recurrence