title: The distribution of common intestinal nematodes along an altitudinal transect in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
abstract: In order to study the effect of climate and topography on the distribution of common, intestinal nematodes in schoolchildren, changes in prevalence were investigated along an altitudinal transect from approximately 50 m above sea level (asl), near the coast, to approximately 1700 m asl, in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. These changes were related to several permutations of temperature, rainfall and evaporation, using univariate and multiple regression analyses. A total of 693 primary schoolchildren aged between 7 and 15 years was examined from six communities along the 150-km transect. Changes in the prevalence of Trichuris trichiura were significantly correlated with temperature-derived variables whereas those of Ascaris lumbricoides and Necator americanus were correlated with rainfall-derived variables. A total of 17 parasite species was recovered along the transect but polyparasitism was negatively correlated with altitude.
authors: Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Natal, Scottsville, South Africa.
authors: C C
authors: CC
authors: Appleton
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Gouws
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D002590:Cestode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002980:Climate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009348:Nematoda / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology