Prevalence of geohelminths in savana and forest areas of Côte d'Ivoire.
BACKGROUND
Côte d'Ivoire has large regional variation in intestinal helminth prevalence.


METHODS
In a large cross-sectional study conducted from 1997 to 1999, stool samples from 6952 children aged 4-15 years were examined for helminth eggs by the Kato/ Katz technique from 24 villages in the savanna (North) and from 21 villages in the forest (West) in Côte d'Ivoire.


CONCLUSIONS
Ascariasis lumbricoides (0.7%) was the only species present in the savana area. In the forest area, ascariasis occurred most frequently (18.9%), followed by trichuriasis (2%), Strongyloidiasis (0.1%) and oxyuriasis (0.03%). Ascariasis prevalence was not significantly associated with age within each ecological zone, but was significantly higher in boys in the forest zone. This study confirms that in the more arid savanna, the conditions are less suitable for helminth transmission than in the forest zone.
Yapi
Y G
YG
Veterinary and Medical Entomology Centre (CEMV), University of Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire.
Briet
O J T
OJ
Vounatsou
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010123:Oxyuriasis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014197:Trees; D014257:Trichuriasis / Q000453:epidemiology