title: Prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminthiasis, prevalence of malaria and nutritional status of school going children in honduras.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many small studies have been done in Honduras estimating soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) prevalence but a country-wide study was last done in 2005. The country has the highest burden of malaria among all Central American countries. The present study was done to estimate country-wide STH prevalence and intensity, malaria prevalence and nutritional status in school going children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted following PAHO/WHO guidelines to select a sample of school going children of 3rd to 5th grades, representative of ecological regions in the country. A survey questionnaire was filled; anthropometric measurements, stool sample for STH and blood sample for malaria were taken. Kato-Katz method was used for STH prevalence and intensity and rapid diagnostic tests, microscopy, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used for malaria parasite detection. A total of 2554 students were studied of which 43.5% had one or more STH. Trichuriasis was the most prevalent (34%) followed by ascariasis (22.3%) and hookworm (0.9%). Ecological regions II (59.7%) and VI (55.6%) in the north had the highest STH prevalence rates while IV had the lowest (10.6%). Prevalence of one or more high intensity STH was low (1.6%). Plasmodium vivax was detected by PCR in only 5 students (0.2%), all of which belonged to the same municipality; no P. falciparum infection was detected. The majority of children (83%) had normal body mass index for their respective age but a significant proportion were overweight (10.42%) and obese (4.35%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biannual deworming campaigns would be necessary in ecological regions II and VI, where STH prevalence is >50%. High prevalence of obesity in school going children is a worrying trend and portends of future increase in obesity related diseases. Malaria prevalence, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, was low and provides evidence for Honduras to embark on elimination of the disease.
authors.affiliation: National Parasitology Laboratory, Direction of Health Surveillance, Ministry of Health of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazan, Honduras.
authors.forename: Rosa Elena
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Mejia Torres
authors.affiliation: Population Risks, Ministry of Health of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazan, Honduras.
authors.forename: Dora Nelly
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Franco Garcia
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Research Institute, National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazan, Honduras.
authors.forename: Gustavo Adolfo
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Fontecha Sandoval
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Institute for Central America and Panama (INCAP), Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazan, Honduras.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernandez Santana
authors.affiliation: Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis, Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazan, Honduras.
authors.forename: Prabhjot
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis, Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazan, Honduras.
authors.forename: Sandra Tamara
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Mancero Bucheli
authors.affiliation: Neglected, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases Unit, Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis, Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Washington D.C., United States of America.
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saboya
authors.affiliation: Population Risks, Ministry of Health of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazan, Honduras.
authors.forename: Mirian Yolanda
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Paz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002489:Central America; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006721:Honduras / Q000453:epidemiology; D006725:Hookworm Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology*; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014257:Trichuriasis / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D012987:Soil