[Prevalence of geohelminth infections in children living in Kinshasa].
BACKGROUND
Data on geohelminth infections in children in the Democratic Republic of Congo are sparse. The objective of this study was to document and compare the profile and prevalence in children living in Kinshasa.


METHODS
A prospective cohort study was conducted from May to October 2009 in children in the Biyela health area in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Stool samples were collected from representative members of these two populations and analyzed for geohelminths (GH) using the Kato-Katz technique.


RESULTS
In this series, 438 school-age children were included. There were 235 children recruited in schools and 203 in households (77.8%). Overall prevalence of geohelminths was 66.9%. The specific prevalence was 69.4% in children recruited in schools and 64.0% in children recruited in households. The frequency of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and Ancylostoma species were, respectively, 56.2%, 38.7%, and 1.7% in schools and 39.9%, 51.7%, and 1.0% in households. A. lumbricoides was significantly more prevalent in schools (56.2% vs 39.9%; OR=2.0; 95%CI: 1.3-3.0), T. trichiura was significantly less prevalent in schools (38.7% vs 51.7%; OR=0.6; 95% CI: 0.4-0.9). There were no significant differences in the prevalence of Ancylostoma between schools and households.


CONCLUSIONS
GH is a health problem among Biyela children. Preventive measures and education of the population need to be emphasized in attempts to reduce the prevalence of geohelminths in these children.
Département de médecine tropicale, faculté de médecine, université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, République démocratique du Congo; Institut national de recherche biomédicale, Kinshasa, République démocratique du Congo. Electronic address: sabitisabin@yahoo.fr.
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S
Nundu Sabiti
Division d'hémato-oncologie et de néphrologie, département de pédiatrie, faculté de médecine, université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, République démocratique du Congo.
M-N
MN
Aloni
Département de médecine tropicale, faculté de médecine, université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, République démocratique du Congo; Institut national de recherche biomédicale, Kinshasa, République démocratique du Congo.
S-W-L
SW
Linsuke
Unité d'infectiologie, département de médecine interne, cliniques universitaires de Kinshasa, faculté de médecine, université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, République démocratique du Congo.
M-B
MB
Ekila
Département de médecine tropicale, faculté de médecine, université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, République démocratique du Congo.
H-T
HT
Situakibanza
Unité d'helminthologie, Institut de médecine tropicale, Anvers, Belgique.
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K
Polman
Département de médecine tropicale, faculté de médecine, université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, République démocratique du Congo; Institut national de recherche biomédicale, Kinshasa, République démocratique du Congo.
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PT
Lutumba
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012574:Schools