title: Methods for Quantification of Soil-Transmitted Helminths in Environmental Media: Current Techniques and Recent Advances.
abstract: Limiting the environmental transmission of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs), which infect 1.5 billion people worldwide, will require sensitive, reliable, and cost-effective methods to detect and quantify STHs in the environment. We review the state-of-the-art of STH quantification in soil, biosolids, water, produce, and vegetation with regard to four major methodological issues: environmental sampling; recovery of STHs from environmental matrices; quantification of recovered STHs; and viability assessment of STH ova. We conclude that methods for sampling and recovering STHs require substantial advances to provide reliable measurements for STH control. Recent innovations in the use of automated image identification and developments in molecular genetic assays offer considerable promise for improving quantification and viability assessment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Philip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Collender
authors.affiliation: Center for Global Safe Water, Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Amy E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.affiliation: Task Force for Global Health, Decatur, GA, USA.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Addiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. Electronic address: mcfreem@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Matthew C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Justin V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Remais
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006376:Helminths / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil