title: Evaluation of an improved approach using residences of schistosomiasis-positive school children to identify carriers in an area of low endemicity.
abstract: School children were used as indicators for the identification of schistosomiasis-positive family members in a area of low endemicity. This study was designed to improve current schistosomiasis control programs by applying this strategy to identify schistosomiasis-positive individuals in a more efficient way. The initial prevalence among school children was 8.6%. However, the prevalence among the family members of these school children increased to 15.5%. In contrast to these findings the prevalence in family members of schistosomiasis-negative school children was 3.8%. Although the applied methodology showed a relatively low sensitivity (50.0%), the high negative predictive value (87.7%) indicates that a few positive family members of school children with a negative stool result will be missed. This shows that this method of evaluation could be a strategy for a more efficient and cheaper identification of schistosomiasis-positive individuals in areas of low endemicity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Intestinal Helminthiasis, Laboratory of Epidemiology and Medical Anthropology, and Laboratory Health Education, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, René Rachou Research Center, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. massara@cpqrr.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: Cristiano Lara
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Massara
authors.forename: Sérgio Viana
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Peixoto
authors.forename: Martin Johannes
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Enk
authors.forename: Héliton
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: da Silva Barros
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: dos Santos Carvalho
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schall
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000254:growth & development*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013334:Students