Assessment of the nail contamination with soil-transmitted helminths in schoolchildren in Jimma Town, Ethiopia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Large-scale deworming programs have been successful in reducing the burden of disease due to soil-transmitted helminth (STH; Ascaris lumbricloides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm) infections, but re-infection in absence of other measures is unavoidable. We assessed the role of nail contamination as a source of infection with the goal to evaluate the potential of nail clipping as a simple measure to further reduce STH-attributable morbidity.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jimma Town (Ethiopia). Both stool samples and clipped nails were collected from 600 schoolchildren and microscopically screened for the presence of STHs. We also interviewed the children to gain insights into their hygiene practices. Subsequently, we explored any associations b

SUBMITTER: Tadege B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9242460 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature