title: Prevalence and distribution of soil-transmitted helminth infections in India.
abstract: Understanding the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth infections is necessary to plan control strategies and focus on highly endemic regions for preventive chemotherapy and improved sanitation facilities. India is known to be endemic for soil-transmitted helminth infections.
  
  
  
  To understand the prevalence, spatial distribution and identify high-risk zones, a systematic search of published literature was carried out based on PRISMA guidelines from the year 2000 to 2015.
  
  
  
  A careful screening of the identified literature yielded 39 studies that reported the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth infections from 19 different states of India. Ascaris lumbricoides was the most prevalent parasite. Higher than 50% prevalence was reported from six states. Nearly 90% studies reported the prevalence of more than one parasite species in the same sample population.
  
  
  
  This is the first study to comprehensively review the literature associated with soil-transmitted helminth infections from India giving a clear idea of its prevalence, distribution and high endemic areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Al-Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. nsalam@imamu.edu.sa.
authors.forename: Nasir
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9133-1304
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salam
authors.affiliation: Innova-CRO, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Saud
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Azam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017164:Ascaris lumbricoides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology; D062206:Spatial Analysis
chemical_list: D012987:Soil