Abstract
Introduction: Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are gastrointestinal parasites widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas. Mass drug administration (MDA) of benzimidazoles (BZ) is the most recommended for STH control. These drugs have demonstrated limited efficacy against Trichuris trichiura and the long-term use of single-dose BZ has raised concerns of the possible emergence of genetic resistance. The objective of this investigation was to determine whether genetic mutations associated with BZ resistance were present in STH species circulating in an endemic region of Honduras. Methods: A parasitological survey was performed as part of this study, the Kato–Katz technique was used to determine STH prevalence in children of La Hicaca, Honduras. A subgroup of children received anthelminthic treatment in order to recover adult parasite specimens that were analyzed through molecular biology techniques. Genetic regions containing codons 200, 198, and 167 of the β-tubulin gene of Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura were amplified and sequenced. Results: Stool samples were collected from 106 children. The overall STH prevalence was 75.47%, whereby T. trichiura was the most prevalent helminth (56.6%), followed by A. lumbricoides (17%), and hookworms (1.9%). Eighty-five sequences were generated for adjacent regions to codons 167, 198, and 200 of the β-tubulin gene of T. trichiura and A. lumbricoides specimens. The three codons of interest were found to be monomorphic in all the specimens. Conclusion: Although the inability to find single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the small sample analyzed for the present report does not exclude the possibility of their occurrence, these results suggest that, at present, Honduras’s challenges in STH control may not be related to drug resistance but to environmental conditions and/or host factors permitting reinfections.
Highlights
Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are gastrointestinal parasites widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas
The recommended control strategy for STH infections is the administration of periodic treatment of at-risk populations living in endemic regions [3]
Anthelminthics from the benzimidazole (BZ) family—albendazole (ABZ) (400 mg) and mebendazole (MBZ) (500 mg)—are the most recommended pharmaceuticals, due to their low cost and relative effectiveness when administered in single-dose regimes [2,3]
Summary
Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are gastrointestinal parasites widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas. Mass drug administration (MDA) of benzimidazoles (BZ) is the most recommended for STH control These drugs have demonstrated limited efficacy against Trichuris trichiura and the long-term use of single-dose BZ has raised concerns of the possible emergence of genetic resistance. The objective of this investigation was to determine whether genetic mutations associated with BZ resistance were present in STH species circulating in an endemic region of Honduras. The main STH species are Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides, and hookworms, mainly Necator americanus in the Americas Infections caused by these parasites are transmitted by ingestion or contact with fecally contaminated soil. Anthelminthics from the benzimidazole (BZ) family—albendazole (ABZ) (400 mg) and mebendazole (MBZ) (500 mg)—are the most recommended pharmaceuticals, due to their low cost and relative effectiveness when administered in single-dose regimes [2,3]
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