Introduction Helminthiasis is a common parasitic condition particularly among children in
rural areas in developing countries where poor hygiene standard is practiced.
The study aimed to determine the prevalence of helminthiasis among Indian
preschoolers in urban areas in Penang and its associated factors.
Methods A total of 194 urban Indian preschoolers aged 4 to 6 years old were selected
randomly from 11 kindergartens in the state of Penang for this cross sectional
study. Data collection was carried out in 2 phases. First, microscopic stool
examinations were done to examine the presence of helminths. Second, self
administered questionnaires which inquired about human, environment and
socioeconomic factors were completed by the parents/guardians.
Results The overall prevalence of helminthiasis was 7.2% and the most frequently
encountered infective agent was Ascaris lumbricoides (57.1%) and followed
by the tapeworms (42.86%). The logistic regression indicated that habitual
thumb sucking (AOR= 5.6. 95%CI: 1.73-18.39) and families owning
domestic pets (AOR= 3.2; 95%CI: 1.03-10.14) were the significant
contributing factors to helminthiasis among the Indian pre-schoolers in urban
Penang. Although the prevalence of helminth infection among the urban
Indian preschoolers is lower than rural area, it is still a public health concern.
Children habitual thumb sucking and rearing domestic pets at home were the
significant contributing factors in helminthiasis.
Conclusion Prevention strategy should focus on health education and promotion among
adults and children, awareness on domestic animal hygiene and maintaining
good environmental sanitation. Multi agency collaboration is clearly
essential, especially between state health, education and veterinary
departments in curbing this disease.
Indigenous chicken (Gallus domesticus) is reared for both its meat and eggs. Most consumers prefer the meat probably due to its specific texture and taste. The study was conducted to determine the presence of helminth parasites of 240 indigenous chickens (Gallus domesticus) obtained randomly from 12 divisions in Penang Island, Malaysia. Necropsy findings revealed 14 endoparasite species which parasitized these chickens namely, Acuaria hamulosa, Acuaria spiralis, Amoebotaenia sphenoides, Ascaridia galli, Brachylaima sp., Capillaria spp., Gongylonema ingluvicola, Heterakis gallinarum, Hymenolepis sp., Oxyspirura mansoni, Raillietina echinobothrida, Raillietina tetragona, Syngamus trachea and Tetrameres americana. The high abundance of helminth species observed in this study may be attributed to the free-range scavenging production system, where these indigenous chickens were exposed to intermediate or paratenic hosts of helminths which infect poultry. Besides, sustainable methods of helminthic control measure are necessary in order to enhance indigenous chicken production and eventually improve the economy of the rural farmers.
Strongyloides stercoralis is a human parasite that can cause a long-term infection. In immunosuppressed patients, strongyloidiasis may be fatal when there is overwhelming autoinfection resulting in the migration of large numbers of larvae through many organs. Definitive diagnosis is still a challenge, and a combination of symptoms, microscopic identification, and serology test results are often used to arrive at a clinical decision. However, intermittent larval excretion, low parasite burden, and occult infections are challenges with parasitological diagnosis of infection with S. stercoralis. Meanwhile, serologic tests using immunoglobulin G and parasite antigen extract have problems of cross-reactivity with other helminthic infections. Recombinant antigen-based serodiagnosis is a good alternative to overcome the laboratory diagnostic issues. Herein, we report on the isolation of cDNA clone encoding an antigen of potential diagnostic value identified from immunoscreening of a S. stercoralis cDNA library. The translated protein had highest similarity to Strongyloides ratti immunoglobulin-binding protein 1. The recombinant antigen produced, rSs1a, was assessed using western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The latter showed 96% diagnostic sensitivity and 93% specificity; thus, rSs1a has good potential for use in serodiagnosis of human strongyloidiasis.
The lymphatic filarial parasite Brugia timori occurs only in eastern Indonesia where it causes high morbidity. The absence of an animal reservoir, the inefficient transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes and the high sensitivity to DEC/albendazole treatment make this species a prime candidate for elimination by mass drug administration (MDA).
School children from 3 primary and 2 secondary schools in Sarawak were examined for the presence of gastrointestinal helminths. One primary school and 1 secondary school were located in a town (Serian), the other primary and secondary schools were in the countryside outside Serian. The intestinal helminths detected were Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Enterobius vermicularis and hookworm. Children from the rural schools had higher numbers of eggs in their faeces than those from the Serian schools. Children from the rural primary schools had higher number of eggs than those from the rural secondary school. The prevalence of Ascaris, Trichuris and hookworms in male and female and in primary and secondary school children was recorded.
In a study to test the association between soil transmitted intestinal helminthiasis and abdominal symptoms in a non-paediatric age group, 242 randomly selected patients (137 males, 105 females, median age 45 years) were asked specific questions pertaining to abdominal symptoms at the time of admission to the adult medical wards. Stool examination on all patients revealed a round worm prevalence rate of 21%. A larger proportion of stool positive female patients were symptomatic than stool negative females (68% vs 30%, p = 0.04). There was no significant difference in symptoms between stool positive and stool negative male patients (34.6% vs 31%, p = 0.91). The results suggested an association between intestinal nematode infection and abdominal symptoms in females but not in males.
The above survey based on a study of single stool specimens from 569 patients, drawn from a hospital population belonging to different ethnic groups and having different cultural backgrounds, failed to indicate an association between intestinal helminth infection and eosinophilic lung. The higher prevalence of eosinophilic lung in Indians than in the other ethnic groups, as reported previously, cannot be explained on a basis of differences in the prevalence of the intestinal helminths, Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm, Trichuris trichiura and Strongyloides stercoralis.
Although intestinal parasitic infections (IPI) among children remain a global issue, the current information on such infections in Albanian children is very limited. A cross-sectional study of the IPI in 321 children living in the Albanian counties of Tirana (152) and Elbasan (169) was therefore conducted in 2008, with a pre-tested standard questionnaire employed to gather the relevant personal and clinical data. Using formalin-ether concentration and permanent stains, stool samples were examined microscopically for the ova, cysts and oocysts of any parasites. The overall prevalence of IPI was 19% (61 of 321), with protozoan infections (11·5%) apparently more common than infections with soil-transmitted helminths (STH; 8·1%). Giardia duodenalis was the parasite most frequently detected (10·9%), followed by hookworm (5·6%), Ascaris lumbricoides (1·9%), Trichuris trichiura (0·6%), Cryptosporidium (0·3%) and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (0·3%). The results of a univariate analysis indicated that the children from Tirana county were significantly more likely to be found infected with STH compared with the children from Elbasan county (12·5% v. 4·1%; P=0·006). Children sampled in the community were also more likely to be found STH-positive than the children sampled as they attended hospitals and health clinics (10·5% v. 6·0%) but this difference did not reach statistical significance. The children found STH-positive were five times more likely to be suffering from diarrhoea than the other children checked in clinical settings (P=0·004) and were also more likely to be suffering from abdominal pain (P=0·054) and/or diminished appetite (P=0·016).
Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are among the most important infectious diseases in Iran. A cross sectional study was designed to determine frequency of intestinal parasites among referrals to a large teaching hospital in Khuzestan, Southwest of Iran, 2017. A total number of 5613 stool samples were examined through direct smear and formalin-ether concentration methods to detect possible parasitic infections. Samples consisted of 2643 (47.09%) male and 2970 (52.91%) female. A total of 1468 (26.15%) samples were positive (13.11% male and 13.4% female) and 4145 (73.85%) were negative. The results also showed that 255 of samples had more than one type of parasite (mix infections). Counting single and mix parasite infections, the total number of positive cases reached to 1723. Helminthes parasites were present in 12 (0.7%) cases, while intestinal protozoan parasites were in 1711 (99.3%) cases. Almost equally, pathogenic and nonpathogenic parasites infected 860 (49.91%) and 863 (50.09%) of patients, respectively. The frequency for helminthes was determined at 0.52% with Hymenolepis nana and Enterobius vermicularis however, Giardia lamblia in 38.54% and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar at 10.68% were concluded as protozoa elements. The IPIs frequency was recorded in female and male patients at 49.16% and 50.14%, respectively. According to the current results the infection rate of intestinal parasites has been significantly reduced especially for helminths infections in this region possibly due to public attention to health issues such as; increased awareness of people, improvement of sanitation, seasonal variations, health education and personal hygiene.
Helminth infection and dietary intake can affect the intestinal microbiota, as well as the immune system. Here we analyzed the relationship between fecal microbiota and blood profiles of indigenous Malaysians, referred to locally as Orang Asli, in comparison to urban participants from the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. We found that helminth infections had a larger effect on gut microbial composition than did dietary intake or blood profiles. Trichuris trichiura infection intensity also had the strongest association with blood transcriptional profiles. By characterizing paired longitudinal samples collected before and after deworming treatment, we determined that changes in serum zinc and iron levels among the Orang Asli were driven by changes in helminth infection status, independent of dietary metal intake. Serum zinc and iron levels were associated with changes in the abundance of several microbial taxa. Hence, there is considerable interplay between helminths, micronutrients and the microbiota on the regulation of immune responses in humans.
Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections in Malaysia are still highly prevalent, especially in rural and remote communities. Complete estimations of the total disease burden in the country has not been performed, since available data are not easily accessible in the public domain. The current study utilised geographical information system (GIS) to collate and map the distribution of STH infections from available empirical survey data in Peninsular Malaysia, highlighting areas where information is lacking. The assembled database, comprising surveys conducted between 1970 and 2012 in 99 different locations, represents one of the most comprehensive compilations of STH infections in the country. It was found that the geographical distribution of STH varies considerably with no clear pattern across the surveyed locations. Our attempt to generate predictive risk maps of STH infections on the basis of ecological limits such as climate and other environmental factors shows that the prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides is low along the western coast and the southern part of the country, whilst the prevalence is high in the central plains and in the North. In the present study, we demonstrate that GIS can play an important role in providing data for the implementation of sustainable and effective STH control programmes to policy-makers and authorities in charge.