Epidemiology of intestinal helminth infestations among schoolchildren in southern Uganda.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence and intensity of intestinal helminth species among school children in southern Uganda.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey using a randomly selected sample.


METHODS
Eighteen districts of southern Uganda.


METHODS
Two thousand and four school children aged two to twenty years (93.3%, aged 5-10 years) selected from classes 1 and 2 in 26 randomly selected primary schools.


RESULTS
Overall, 55.9% of children were infected with either hookworm, Ascanis lumbricoides or Trichuris trichiura. The prevalence of A. lumbricoides was 17.5% ( range 0-66.7% by school), T. trichiura was 7.3% (0-45.0%) and hookworm 44.5% (15.6-86.0%). The prevalence of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura was greatest in western districts while hookworm infection was more evenly distributed across the country.


CONCLUSIONS
Mass antihelminthic treatment of school children was warranted in 13 of the 18 districts as more than 50% of the children were infected with an intestinal nematode. It is likely that pre-school children are similarly infected.
Kabatereine
N B
NB
Vector Control Division, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda.
Tukahebwa
E M
EM
Brooker
S
S
Alderman
H
H
Hall
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology