title: The molecular speciation of soil-transmitted helminth eggs collected from school children across six endemic countries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The diagnosis of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs; Ascaris, Trichuris and hookworms) is traditionally based on the demonstration of eggs in stool using microscopic techniques. While molecular techniques are more appropriate to speciate STH species they are seldom applied. In this study we speciated STH eggs from stool using molecular techniques to gain insights into the distribution of both human and animal STH species in the human host.
  
  
  METHODS
  We speciated 207 STH egg isolates from stool collected during the baseline survey of six drug efficacy trials conducted in Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Vietnam applying a PCR - restriction fragment length polymorphisms based approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DNA of Ascaris was detected in 71 (34.3%) samples, of which all were identified as the human roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides. In 87 (42.0%) samples, DNA of Trichuris spp. was found and further speciation demonstrated the presence of the human Trichuris trichiura (100%) and the canine Trichuris vulpis (n=7; 8.0%; in Cameroon only). Hookworms were identified in 104 (50.2%) samples, with Necator americanus (n=73; 70.2%) being the predominant species followed by Ancylostoma duodenale (n=40; 38.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study indicates that STH infections in humans are predominantly caused by human STH species. They also suggest that zoonotic transmission occurs on a local scale.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.|Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Santosh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: George
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Geldhof
authors.affiliation: Center for Tropical Diseases, Sacro Cuore Hospital - WHO Collaborating Centre on strongyloidiasis and other intestinal parasitic infections, Negrar, Italy.|University of Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albonico
authors.affiliation: Public Health Laboratory, Ivo de Carneri, Chake-chake, Zanzibar, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Shaali M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ame
authors.affiliation: Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bethony
authors.affiliation: Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Engels
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Zeleke
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mekonnen
authors.affiliation: Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montresor
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Pasteur Institute in Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
authors.forename: Sopheak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hem
authors.affiliation: Centre for Schistosomiasis and Parasitology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Louis-Albert
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Tchuem-Tchuenté
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology, Ha Noi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Nguyen Thu
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Huong
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Gagandeep
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 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, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Levecke
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D010063:Ovum; D012987:Soil
chemical_list: D012987:Soil
keywords: 
            Ancylostoma duodenale
          ; 
            Ascaris lumbricoides
          ; 
            Necator americanus
          ; 
            Trichiuris trichiura
          ; 
            Trichuris vulpis
          ; Zoonosis