title: Prevalence and distribution of soil-transmitted helminthiases among Orang Asli children living in peripheral Selangor, Malaysia.
abstract: Soil-transmitted helminthiases are a public health problem in rural communities. A cross-sectional study of the prevalence and distribution of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm was conducted in 281 Orang Asli children (aborigines) aged between 2 and 15 years, from 8 Orang Asli villages in Selangor, Malaysia. All the children were infected with soil-transmitted helminthes, with 26.3% of the children infected either with A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura or hookworm and 72.6% having mixed infection. The overall prevalences of A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura and hookworm were 61.9, 98.2 and 37.0%, respectively. Approximately 19.0, 26.0 and 3.0% of the children had severe infection of ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infection, respectively. The prevalences and mean egg per gram (epg) counts for A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura were not significantly dependent on age, therefore age-dependent convexity was not seen in this study. However, the results of this study reveal an age-dependent prevalence and mean epg count in children with hookworm infection. We conclude that ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infection are still prevalent and therefore a public health concern in Orang Asli communities. Severe ascariasis and trichuriasis may lead to other health and medical problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
authors.forename: M S Hesham
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Al-Mekhlafi
authors.forename: M'
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azlin
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nor Aini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shaikh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sa'iah
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Fatmah
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: M S Ahmad
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Firdaus
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Aisah
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Rozlida
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Norhayati
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006725:Hookworm Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology*; D014257:Trichuriasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission
chemical_list: D012987:Soil