title: Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among school children in capital areas of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, West Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe (DRSTP) has undertaken school children-based deworming programs against intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) using a single dose of mebendazole annually since 2005, it remains unclear as to the outcome to date. The present study intends to investigate the recent IPIs status among school children living in capital areas of the DRSTP.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 252 school children (121 boys and 131 girls) of grades 4 and 5 from 4 primary schools located in the capital areas participated in the present study and their fresh fecal specimens were examined for the presence of any parasites using the merthiolate-iodine-formaldehyde concentration method as conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of IPIs was 64.7% (163/ 252). No significant gender difference in prevalence between boys (67.8%) and girls (61.8%) was found (p = 0.3). The majority of school children were infected with a single species of parasite (55.8%). Altogether, 12 different intestinal parasite species were identified in DRSTP school children, of which 9 species were pathogenic and the remaining 3 were non-pathogenic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improving the detection method, sanitation facilities and personal hygiene as well as utilizing combined drugs are all important measures to greatly reduce IPIs in DRSTP school children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of International Medical Affairs, Taipei Medical University-Shuang-Ho Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Jung
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Yan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
authors.forename: Yueh-Lun
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Po-Ching
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ting-Wu
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine; Department of Infection Control Science, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Mei
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ying-Chie
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências da Saúde Dr Victor Sá Machado, Democratic Republic of Sao Tomes and Principe.
authors.forename: Idalina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bonfim
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Master Program in Global Health and Development, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; International Master/PhD Program in Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Kwung
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D001266:Atlantic Islands / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools
keywords: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe; intestinal parasitic infections; school children