Abstract
This study assessed the actual prevalence of geohelminths and the impact of albendazole on parasitic indices in Kotto Barombi and Marumba II. Stools samples were collected from 420 school children and examined using the Kato-katz faecal technique. Participants were treated with 600 mg of albendazole. Baseline prevalence of infections and mean parasite loads were 26.4% and 6226.9e/g (Ascaris lumbricoides), 31.0% and 252.4 e/g (Trichuris trichiura), and 1.4% and 468.0e/g (Necator americanus). Four children (0.9%) were infected with Strongyloides stercoralis. A significant difference of prevalence was observed between the two villages for A. lumbricoides (P = 0.0001) andT. trichiura (P = 0.0005), and parasite loads for T. trichiura (P = 0.0001). Single infection (T. trichiura or A. lumbricoides) and double infection (A. lumbricoides - T. trichiura) were more prevalent. Post treatment control showed a decrease of prevalence and mean parasite load to 24.4% and 2969.5e/g (A. lumbricoides), and 24.0% and 112.8e/g (T. trichiura), and 0.0% for N. americanus and S. stercoralis. Efficacy and egg reduction rates were 84.6% and 55.3% (T. trichiura), 82.0% and 52.2% (A. lumbricoides), and 100.0% for N. americanus and S. stercoralis. These results suggest that geohelminths infections remain a serious health problem in school children in Kotto Barombi focus. Key words: School children, geohelminth, prevalence, parasite load, albendazole, drug efficacy, Kotto Barombi, Marumba II, Cameroon
Highlights
Soil transmitted helminths (STH) infections are among the most prevalent of chronic human infections with an estimated 2 billion individuals infected worldwide (Artis, 2006)
More of the major pathogenic species of human: Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Hookworms (Necator americanus), and that 39 million disability adjusted life years are attributed to these four Nematodes (Chan, 1997; Albonico et al, 1999; WHO, 2001).The greatest number of STH infections occur in Sub Saharan Africa where 89.9 millions of school age children are infected (Brooker, 2006a)
Single infection was more prevalent for T. trichiura (56.5%) and A. lumbricoides (39.8%), while N. americanus (1.9%) and S. stercoralis (2.8%) were rarely observed
Summary
Soil transmitted helminths (STH) (geohelminths) infections are among the most prevalent of chronic human infections with an estimated 2 billion individuals infected worldwide (Artis, 2006). These infections are more prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions of the developing world where adequate water supply and sanitation are lacking. The major public health significance and economic impact of this group of pathogens is hard to quantify, the WHO has estimated that more than 1000 million people world-wide are infected with one or more of the major pathogenic species of human: Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Hookworms (Necator americanus), and that 39 million disability adjusted life years are attributed to these four Nematodes (Chan, 1997; Albonico et al, 1999; WHO, 2001).The greatest number of STH infections occur in Sub Saharan Africa where 89.9 millions of school age children are infected (Brooker, 2006a).
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