Soil-transmitted helminthiases and health behaviors among schoolchildren and community members in a west-central border area of Thailand.
The prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthic infections and health behaviors related to infections in schoolchildren and villagers of a community (4 hamlets) was studied in Hauy Kayeng subdistrict, Thong Pha Phum district, in the north of Kanchanaburi Province. The intestinal helminth infection rate of the schoolchildren was 15.6%. Hookworm infection was the most prominent (9.8%), followed by Trichuris trichiura (6.2%), and Ascaris lumbricoides (2.2%). The community showed higher prevalence rates and was infected with more types of intestinal helminths than the schoolchildren. Thirty-five point two percent (35.2%) of the residents were infected with soil-transmitted helminths, 30.5% with hookworm, 3.4% with A. lumbricoides and 2.2% with T. trichiura. Almost all hookworm cases (94.3%) were light intensity infections, while only 1.3% were heavy infections. Moreover, the hookworm infection rate in the community was found to be much higher when a stool culture method was used (39.1%). With this technique, 2.3% Strongyloides stercoralis infections were detected in the community population. Examination of the health behavior of the study samples showed that approximately 75% always defecated in a toilet. Schoolchildren who always wore shoes comprised 67%, which was lower than the community, at 85%.
Anantaphruti
Malinee T
MT
Department of Helminthology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. tmmtr@mahidol.ac.th
Waikagul
Jitra
J
Maipanich
Wanna
W
Nuamtanong
Supaporn
S
Pubampen
Somchit
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006725:Hookworm Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology*; D017171:Strongyloides stercoralis; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology
D012987:Soil