부산대학교 도서관

Background: Soil transmitted Helminths (STH) infections remain a public health concern worldwide, particularly in tropical and subtropical areas where these diseases are highly endemic. Knowing the prevalence and risk factors of the disease is crucial for efficient STH control strategies in endemic areas. The scarcity of epidemiological data on STH for Equatorial Guinea has motivated the decision to perform the present study. Methods: A cluster-based cross-sectional study was carried out in Bata district from November 2020 to January 2021. Stool samples were collected for the diagnostic of STH infections using Kato-Katz technique. Descriptive statistics was performed for determination of STH prevalence and intensity, while logistic regression models were used to assess the risk factors associated with STH infections. Results: A total of 340 participants were included in the study with a mean age of 24 years (SD = 23.7) and 1.2 female-to-male sex-ratio. The overall prevalence of any STH was 60% (95%CI: 55–65). The most prevalent species were Ascaris lumbricoides (43%, 95%CI: 37–48) and Trichuris trichiura (40%, 95%CI: 35–46). Intensity of infection were mainly light to moderate. A trend of association was observed between age and any STH infection (overall p-value = 0.07), with a significant difference observed between children aged 5–14 years as compared to those aged 1–4 (aOR 2.12; 95%CI: 1.02–4.43, p-value = 0.04), while locality was significantly associated with STH infection (overall p-value<0.001) with a higher odds observed for peri-urban area as compared to urban area (aOR 4.57; 95%CI: 2.27–9.60, p-value<0.001). Conclusion: Bata district is a high STH transmission area, where school-aged children and peri-urban areas are associated with a higher risk of any STH infection. This situation calls for a full implementation of the WHO recommendations for STH control; mass drug administration of anthelminthic twice a year to the whole population with great attention to school age children, and prioritizing peri-urban areas where safe water, improve sanitation, and hygiene education should be implemented to achieve a better control. Author summary: Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) remain a public health problem in endemic areas even though they are among the five preventive chemotherapy controlled neglected tropical diseases which benefit from regular mass distributions of antiparasitic drugs. Equatorial Guinea is known to be endemic for STH. However, epidemiological data on these infections needed for an effective control program are scarce or inexistent. For deworming implementation, passive strategies consisting of deworming of young children during vaccination campaigns and systematic treatment of children consulting at hospital for helminth-like symptoms are being implemented, as well as distribution of albendazole during lymphatic filariasis community mass treatment. In the present work, we provide current epidemiological data on STH infection in Bata district, which is the largest and most populated among the nineteen districts of Equatorial Guinea. We reported a high prevalence of STH infections of low to moderate intensity in the study areas, where school age children are more at-risk age group, and peri–urban area the more at-risk area. Our findings highlight the need to implement the WHO recommendations for control of STH infections in the country, such as mass drug administration of anthelminthic twice a year with great attention to pre-school-age children and school aged children. Health Education and other preventive measures such as WASH should be taken in consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]