title: Strongyloides stercoralis infection and re-infection in a cohort of children in Cambodia.
abstract: Information on Strongyloides stercoralis re-infection after ivermectin treatment is scarce in S. stercoralis endemic countries. In semi-rural Cambodia, we determined S. stercoralis infection and re-infection rates among schoolchildren, two years after ivermectin treatment (2×100 μg/kg PO, 24 h apart). The study was conducted among 484 children from four primary schools in semi-rural villages in Kandal province from 2009 to 2011, using Koga agar plate culture and the Baermann method on two stool samples per child. Complete data were available for 302 participants. We observed infections in 24.2% and 22.5% of the children at baseline and at follow-up, respectively. At baseline, 73 children were treated for S. stercoralis infection. At follow-up, one-third of those treated for S. stercoralis infection had been reinfected, while 19.6% of the 229 healthy children (at baseline) had been newly infected with S. stercoralis. Possession of shoes and defecation in toilet were negatively associated with S. stercoralis infection at follow-up. Infection and re-infection rates of S. stercoralis among schoolchildren are considerably high. However, 68.5% of infected children remained free of infection for at least two years. A large-scale cohort study is required to understand age-specific infection and re-infection dynamics in endemic countries.
authors: National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, Ministry of Health, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors: Virak
authors: V
authors: Khieu
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Hattendorf
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors: Fabian
authors: F
authors: Schär
authors: University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Medical Department and Diagnostics, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.
authors: Hanspeter
authors: H
authors: Marti
authors: National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, Ministry of Health, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
authors: Meng Chuor
authors: MC
authors: Char
authors: National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, Ministry of Health, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
authors: Sinuon
authors: S
authors: Muth
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: peter.odermatt@unibas.ch.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Odermatt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002160:Cambodia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D017171:Strongyloides stercoralis; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics
keywords: Cambodia; Infection; Re-infection; Risk factors; Schoolchildren; Strongyloides stercoralis