Abstract
Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) infect 2 billion people worldwide including significant numbers in South-East Asia (SEA). In Australia, STH are of less concern; however, indigenous communities are endemic for STH, including Strongyloides stercoralis, as well as for serious clinical infections due to other helminths such as Toxocara spp. The zoonotic hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum is also present in Australia and SEA, and may contribute to human infections particularly among pet owners. High human immigration rates to Australia from SEA, which is highly endemic for STH Strongyloides and Toxocara, has resulted in a high prevalence of these helminthic infections in immigrant communities, particularly since such individuals are not screened for worm infections upon entry. In this review, we consider the current state of STH infections in Australia and SEA.
Highlights
Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are estimated to infect 2 billion people worldwide
While STH infections are generally low in Australia, they are still endemic and of significant health importance in remote Aboriginal communities, S. stercoralis, which can be fatal in immunocompromised people
Limited data are available for hyperinfection and mortality due to strongyloidiasis in the Asia-Pacific area, but in Australia, infection has led to fatalities, which, in such a resource-rich country, is alarming and unacceptable
Summary
Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are estimated to infect 2 billion people worldwide. Many of these infections occur in South-East Asia (SEA) [1,2]. Recent molecular analysis of hookworm species has been important for speciation and shows a different epidemiological pattern than previously thought, including a much higher prevalence of A. ceylanicum, which had been considered to be only a rare infection in humans [4,11,50,51,52,53]. This is due in part to the morphological similarity of eggs and larval stages between hookworm species leading to misdiagnosis, and partly due to initial erroneous assumptions of their epidemiology [53].
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