Parasite egg contamination of hands in a suburban area of Hanoi, Vietnam

Abstract

Contamination of hands by soil-transmitted helminth eggs was investigated in a small village located in the suburbs of Hanoi, Vietnam. Thirty-three households, consisting of one to eight members, were selected in the village. In addition, 130 school children, including 80 pupils from primary school grade 1 and 50 students from secondary school grade 8, were selected for the survey. A total of 285 villagers were subjected to the collection of hand-wash samples either once or twice during the study. Parasite eggs were found in 37 (13.0%) samples from 21 males and 16 females aged between 2 and 72 years old. One person was positive in both the rainy and dry season. Eggs of seven parasite species were detected; Enterovius. vermicularis (8.4%), Ascaris sp. (2.1%), Trichuris sp. (1.1%), Ascaridia galli (0.7%), Taenia sp. (0.7%), Capillaria sp. (0.4%) and Toxocara sp. (0.4%). A total of 249 villagers were subjected to collection of nail samples either once or twice during the study. Parasite eggs were found in 10 (4.0%) samples from 5 males and 5 females aged between 6 and 46 years old. Six people were also positive on examination of hand-wash samples. Eggs of four parasite species were detected; E.vermicularis (2.0%), Ascaris sp. (0.8%), Trichuris sp.(0.8%) and Toxocara sp. (0.4%). The present study indicates that the infection route by hands plays an important role in the transmission of the soil-transmitted helminth.