title: Current Status of Soil-Transmitted Helminths among School Children in Kakamega County, Western Kenya.
abstract: Background. School age children are at high risk of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) worldwide. In Kenya, STH infections in children remain high despite the periodic administration of anthelmintic drugs. Our study assessed the prevalence and intensity of STH in primary school-aged children in Kakamega County, western Kenya. Methodology. We carried out a cross-sectional study on a population of 731 children attending 7 primary schools in March 2014. Children aged 4-16 years were examined for STH by the quantitative Kato-Katz technique. Infection intensities were expressed as eggs per gram (epg) of faeces. Findings. Among 731 school children examined for STH, 44.05% were infected. Highest prevalence of STH was in Shitaho primary school where 107 participants were examined and 62.6% were infected with mean intensity of 11667 epg. Iyenga had the least prevalence where 101 participants were examined and 26.7% were infected with mean intensity of 11772 epg. A. lumbricoides was the most prevalent STH species with 43.5% infected, while hookworm infections were low with 1.8% infected. Conclusion. Prevalence of STHs infections in Kakamega County remains high. We recommend guidelines and other control strategies to be scaled up to break transmission cycles.
authors.affiliation: Karatina University, P.O. Box 1957-10101, Karatina, Kenya.
authors.forename: Teresia
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6282-8207
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ngonjo
authors.affiliation: Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Eastern and Southern Africa Centre of International Parasite Control, P.O. Box 54840-00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Collins
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Okoyo
authors.affiliation: Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Eastern and Southern Africa Centre of International Parasite Control, P.O. Box 54840-00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andove
authors.affiliation: Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Eastern and Southern Africa Centre of International Parasite Control, P.O. Box 54840-00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Elses
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simiyu
authors.affiliation: Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Eastern and Southern Africa Centre of International Parasite Control, P.O. Box 54840-00200, Nairobi, Kenya; Technical University of Kenya (TUK), P.O. Box 52428-00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Agola Eric
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Lelo
authors.affiliation: Kenyatta University, P.O. Box 43844-00202, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Ephantus
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kabiru
authors.affiliation: Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Eastern and Southern Africa Centre of International Parasite Control, P.O. Box 54840-00200, Nairobi, Kenya; Division of Vector Borne Diseases, Ministry of Health, P.O. Box 20750-00202, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Jimmy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kihara
authors.affiliation: Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Eastern and Southern Africa Centre of International Parasite Control, P.O. Box 54840-00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mwandawiro