Title
Epidemiology of soil transmitted helminth and Strongyloides stercoralis infections in remote rural villages of Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar
Date Issued
17 February 2019
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Hakami L.
Castle P.
Kiernan J.
Choi K.
Rahantamalala A.
Rakotomalala E.
Rakotoarison R.
Wright P.
Grandjean Lapierre S.
Crnosija I.
Small P.
Vigan-Womas I.
Stony Brook University
Publisher(s)
Taylor and Francis Ltd.
Abstract
Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections carry the highest number of disability adjusted life years among all neglected tropical diseases, disproportionately affecting low-income countries such as Madagascar.  This study describes the epidemiology of STH and S. stercoralis infections in twelve remote villages surrounding Ranomafana National Park (RNP), Ifanadiana, Madagascar. Questionnaires and stool samples were collected from 574 subjects from random households. The Kato-Katz method and spontaneous sedimentation technique were used to examine stool samples for evidence of infection. Infection prevalence rates were 71.4% for Ascaris lumbricoides (95% CI: 67.7–75.1), 74.7% for Trichuris trichiura (95% CI: 71.1–78.2), 33.1% for hookworm (95% CI: 29.2–36.9), and 3.3% for Strongyloides stercoralis (95% CI: 1.84–4.77). Participants who were older in age (OR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.95–0.99) and who had a high school education (OR = 0.17; 95% CI: 0.04–0.77) were less likely to be infected with a STH. Females were less likely to be infected with A. lumbricoides (OR = 0.52; 95% CI: 0.33–0.82). Participants living in villages further from the main road were more likely to be infected with a STH (F = 4.00, p = 0.02). Overall, this study found that 92.5% (95% CI: 90.3–94.6) of the people living in rural regions near RNP have at least one STH infection. This calls into question the current preventative chemotherapy (PC) program in place and suggests that further medical, socioeconomic, and infrastructural deveopments are needed to reduce STH prevalence rates among this underserved population.
Start page
94
End page
100
Volume
113
Issue
2
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Biología celular, Microbiología Epidemiología
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85063039049
PubMed ID
Source
Pathogens and Global Health
ISSN of the container
20477724
Sponsor(s)
David E. Rogers Student Fellowship Award, Martin and Dorothy Spatz Foundation, and support from the Global Health Institute of Stony Brook University and the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Stony Brook University, the National Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Public Health of Madagascar (N°089 MSANP/CE), and the IRB at Center ValBio in RNP. The study was explained to all adult participants, children, and/or children’s guardians before participation. Participants and/or guardians then signed a letter of consent before inclusion in the study. Children who participated signed a letter of assent.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus