Abstract
To investigate the potential protective effects of Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination scar and sensitization to tuberculin against geohelminth infections, we conducted a cross-sectional study among school age children in rural communities in Pichincha Province in Ecuador where BCG vaccination is routinely given at birth. A total of 944 children aged 8–14 years were evaluated for the presence of BCG scars and sensitization to tuberculin, and underwent faecal examination for geohelminth parasites. BCG scars were present in 88.2% of children and positive Mantoux tests were observed in 19.1% of children. Geohelminth prevalence was high with 70.3% infected with any parasite, 52.1 % with Ascaris lumbricoides, 52.3% with Trichuris trichiura, 7.6% with Ancylostoma duodenale, and 3.0% with Strongyloides stercoralis. In multivariate analyses, the presence of BCG vaccine scars was not significantly associated with infections with any geohelminth parasite (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.74, 95% CI 0.43–1.28, P = 0.28), but an inverse association was observed for infections with S. stercoralis that was of borderline statistical significance (AOR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.15–1.00, P = 0.05). There were no associations between sensitization to tuberculin and infection with geohelminth parasites. The data provide little support for an important protective role of neonatal BCG vaccination or current mycobacterial sensitization against geohelminth infections.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
