Community based parasitic screening and treatment of Sudanese refugees: application and assessment of Centers for Disease Control guidelines.
Centers for Disease Control guidelines for schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis in Sudanese and Somali refugees are not widely implemented. Given limited prevalence data, we conducted a seroprevalence study of schistosomiasis, strongyloidiasis, and loiasis in Sudanese refugees across diverse ages. Sudanese refugees, ages 4-78, were recruited via community organizations. Half of the patients (86/172), were seropositive for schistosomiasis (46/171; 26.9%), strongyloidiasis (56/172; 33%), or both (16/171; 9.4%). No Loa loa infections were detected. Infection rates were similar in adults and children except that no schistosomiasis was detected in children < 4 years of age at the time of immigration to the United States. The high prevalence of schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis in a community-based sample of Sudanese confirms the urgency for compliance with CDC refugee health guidelines. We detected no co-infection with Loa loa using the most sensitive serologic techniques, allowing use of ivermectin, the most effective treatment of strongyloidiasis.
Brodine
Stephanie K
SK
San Diego State University Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego, California 92182, USA.
Thomas
Anne
A
Huang
Robert
R
Harbertson
Judith
J
Mehta
Sanjay
S
Leake
John
J
Nutman
Thomas
T
Moser
Kathleen
K
Wolf
Jamie
J
Ramanathan
Roshan
R
Burbelo
Peter
P
Nou
John
J
Wilkins
Patricia
P
Reed
Sharon L
SL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015766:Albendazole / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012036:Refugees; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013397:Sudan / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
D000871:Anthelmintics; D007559:Ivermectin; D015766:Albendazole