title: Prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminth infections among pre-school age children in 12 kindergartens in Jimma Town, southwest Ethiopia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pre-school age children (preSAC) remain difficult to reach in mass drug administration (MDA) programmes to control soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections. Kindergartens provide a unique platform to increase the coverage of MDA in preSAC in Ethiopia, but surveys assessing STHs among preSAC in kindergartens are scarce.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report the prevalence and intensity of STH infections among 622 preSAC in 12 kindergartens in Jimma, Ethiopia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  STHs were found in all kindergartens, with prevalence exceeding 50% in 8 kindergartens. The majority of the infections were of low intensity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights the importance of kindergartens as an additional opportunity for MDA in Ethiopia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dana
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Zeleke
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mekonnen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Emana
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Mio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ayana
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Mestawet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Getachew
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Netsanet
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Workneh
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vercruysse
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Merelbeke, Belgium Bruno.Levecke@Ugent.be.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Levecke
mesh_terms: D000723:Ancylostomatoidea / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D017164:Ascaris lumbricoides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014258:Trichuris / Q000302:isolation & purification
keywords: Infection intensity; Mass drug administration; Pre-school age children; Soil-transmitted helminths