METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study with a semi-structured questionnaire was carried out among 100 and 123 households from forest-aboriginal and rural areas, respectively.
RESULTS: Knowledge about malaria and its transmission is significantly higher among the rural participants than the aborigines (86.2% vs 76%, p < 0.01). However, use of medicinal plants and beliefs in witchcraft and sorcery in treating febrile diseases were significantly higher among the aboriginal population (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences between the two communities in terms of the knowledge about malaria symptoms, attitudes towards its severity and practices in preventive measures against malaria by using mosquito bed nets. However, the knowledge and practice of different preventive measures to combat malaria, such as insecticide and the elimination of breeding areas, was significantly higher among the rural population than the aborigines (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Both communities were aware of malaria as a disease, but knowledge, attitudes and practices were inadequate. Providing efficient health education to people residing in malaria endemic areas would improve their understanding about malaria prevention in order to bring about the elimination of malaria from the country.
METHODS: A total of 170 blood sample were collected from domestic and stray cats and examined for filarial worm parasites in two localities, Pulau Carey and Bukit Gasing, Selangor State, Malaysia.
RESULTS: The overall prevalence of infection was 23.5% (40/170; 95% CI = 17.4-30.6). Of this, 35% (14/40; 95% CI = 22.1-50.5) and 50% (20/40; 95% CI = 35.2-64.8) were positive for single B. pahangi nd D. repens, respectively. The remaining of 15% (6/40; 95% CI = 7.1-29.1) were positive for mixed B. pahangi and D. repens. In addition, 75% of the infected cats were domestic, and 25% were strays. No Brugia malayi and Dirofilaria immitis was detected. Eighty-four cats were captured at Pulau Carey, of which 35.7% (30/84) were infected. Among the cats determined to be infected, 93% (28/30; 95% CI = 78.7-98.2) were domestic, and only 6.7% (2/30; 95% CI = 19.0-21.3) were strays. Conversely, the number of infected cats was three times lower in Bukit Gasing than in Pulau Carey, and most of the cats were stray.
CONCLUSIONS: B. pahangi and D. repens could be the major parasites underlying filariasis in the study area. Adequate prophylactic plans should be administrated in the cat population in study area.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study among 254 aboriginal schoolchildren was conducted in order to determine the current prevalence and intensity of infections and to investigate the potential risk factors associated with moderate-to-heavy burden of STH infections among these children.
RESULTS: Overall, 93.7% of children were found to be infected with one or more STH species. The prevalence of trichuriasis, ascariasis and hookworm infections were 84.6%, 47.6% and 3.9%, respectively. Almost half of the participants had heavy trichuriasis, one-quarter had heavy ascariasis whereas all hookworm infections were light infections. Overall, moderate-to-heavy STH infections accounted for 56.7% of the total infections. Univariate analysis revealed that those using untreated water supply (P = 0.013), living in houses without toilets (P = 0.027) and having domestic animals in the houses (P = 0.044) had significantly higher prevalence of moderate-to-heavy infections than others. Logistic regression analysis confirmed using untreated water for drinking (P = 0.001) and the absence of a toilet in the house (P = 0.003) as significant risk factors of moderate-to-heavy STH infections among these children.
CONCLUSION: The high proportion of moderate-to-heavy STH infections further confirms the need for serious attention towards these devastating diseases that has put lives and the future of aboriginal children in jeopardy. Introduction of more poverty alleviation schemes, proper sanitation, provision of clean and safe drinking water, health education, as well as the introduction of periodic school-based deworming programmes are imperative among these communities in order to curtail the transmission and morbidity caused by STH.
METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional survey followed by unmatched case-control comparisons was conducted among 612 participants in Utmah district, western Yemen. A total of 223 participants were included in the case-control analysis to identify the significant risk factors. Skin scrapping samples were examined by microscopy and internal transcribed spacer 1 nested polymerase chain reaction.
RESULTS: Overall, 33% (202/612) of the participants had active skin lesions and/or scars that met the clinical criteria for CL. A total of 90 (14.7%) participants had suspected active CL lesions; however, a prevalence of 8.7% (53/612) was obtained based on molecular and parasitological examination, with Leishmania tropica being the only causative agent identified. Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that being ≤10 y old, being female, living in houses with cracked walls, living in the presence of other family members with typical ulcerating skin diseases and sleeping outside were factors significantly associated with an increased likelihood of having CL. Moreover, keeping livestock on the ground floor of the house was significantly associated with a decreased likelihood of having CL.
CONCLUSION: The study reveals an alarmingly high prevalence of CL among the studied population. Therefore there is an urgent need for effective control measures and improved treatment efforts against this devastating disease.
METHODS: In a community-based study, faecal samples were collected from 605 participants and examined by wet mount, formalin-ether sedimentation, trichrome staining and nested multiplex PCR techniques. Demographic, socio-economic and environmental information was collected using a pre-tested questionnaire.
RESULTS: Overall, 324 (53.6%) of the samples were positive for Entamoeba cysts and/or trophozoites by microscopic examination. Molecular analysis revealed that 20.2%, 15.7% and 18.2% of the samples were positive for E. histolytica, E. dispar and E. moshkovskii, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed different sets of species-specific risk factors among these communities. Educational level was identified as the significant risk factor for E. histolytica; age and gender were the significant risk factors for E. moshkovskii; and sources of drinking water and consumption of unwashed vegetables were the significant risk factors for E. dispar. Moreover, living in coastal/foothill areas and presence of other infected family members were risk factors for both E. histolytica and E. moshkovskii infections.
CONCLUSION: The study reveals that Entamoeba spp. infection is highly prevalent among rural communities in Yemen, with E. histolytica, E. dispar and E. moshkovskii differentiated for the first time. Identifying and treating infected family members, providing health education pertinent to good personal and food hygiene practices and providing clean drinking water should be considered in developing a strategy to control intestinal parasitic infections in these communities, particularly in the coastal/foothill areas of the country.