Project Summary
Schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) and lymphatic filariasis (LF) are the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in many parts of coastal Kenya. This study was conducted to determine the impact of integrated preventive chemotherapy for schistosomiasis, STH and LF in an area previously under intermittent mass drug administration for LF. The study was conducted in five villages and their corresponding schools in Mwaluphamba Location, Matuga District, Kwale County, Kenya.
A baseline survey was conducted in September 2009. The presence of Schistosoma haematobium infection was determined by the urine filtration method, STH in stool was determined by Kato-Katz method while filarial antigenaemia was determined using immunochromatographic (ICT) test. A total of 1022 school children were examined at baseline and 505 (49.4%) were found to have S. haematobium infection. The prevalence of STH in children was 26.2% for hookworms, 2.2% for Trichuristrichiura and 1.9% for Ascarislum bricoides.A total of599 adults were examined and prevalences of hookworm and schistosomiasis infectionswere found to be 41.7%and 18.2%, respectively.An observational study to evaluate the effect of school-based co-administration of praziquantel and albendazole found significant decreases in both prevalence and intensity of S. haematobium infection after treatment, but not for STH infection.Adverse events following treatment were mild and transient.
Hookworm and schistosomiasis infections were identified as important infections among adults. Once per year school-based deworming programmes may not be adequate for STH infection control particularly in areas where hookworm is the major STH species. Therefore, there is a need to design novel interventions that could allow inclusion of adults in an effort to reduce force of infection in high endemic communities.
