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Identification of transmission foci of Schistosoma mansoni: narrowing the intervention target from district to transmission focus in Ethiopia.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) infection is a significant public health problem in Ethiopia, and has wide distribution in the country. The impact of the disease is particularly high on school-age children. Nationwide 385 endemic districts were identified, whereby control and elimination interventions are underway using school-based annual mass drug administration (MDA) with praziquantel. The national elimination program targets endemic districts as a whole. The aim of this study was to identify the transmission foci of Schistosoma mansoni and determine prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) in Abeshge district. METHODS:The study was conducted from April to May, 2019 among school-age children randomly selected from public elementary schools in Abeshge district, South-central Ethiopia. Demographic information and data on risk factors of S. mansoni infection were gathered using pre-tested questionnaire. Moreover, a stool sample was collected from each child and examined using Kato-Katz thick smear technique. The data were analyzed using STATA_MP version 12. RESULTS:A total of 389 school-age children from five public elementary schools were included in the study. The overall prevalence of S. mansoni and STHs was 19.3% (75/389) and 35% (136/389), respectively. The prevalence of S. mansoni was 60.6% in Kulit Elementary school, while it was zero in Geraba. The prevalence of S. mansoni was significantly higher among males (AOR?=?2.6, 95% CI 1.3-5.1), those with habit of swimming and/or bathing in rivers (AOR?=?2.9, 95%CI 1.3-5.1) and involved in irrigation activities (AOR?=?2.9, 95% CI 1.0-8.3). Overall, the prevalence of S. mansoni was significantly higher among school children attending Kulit Elementary School compared to those attending the remaining schools (AOR?=?12.5, 95%CI 6.2-25.1). CONCLUSION:A wide variation of S. mansoni prevalence was observed among the school children in the different schools. Control interventions better identify and target foci of S. mansoni transmission, instead of targeting the district homogenously.

SUBMITTER: Tiruneh A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7245888 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Identification of transmission foci of Schistosoma mansoni: narrowing the intervention target from district to transmission focus in Ethiopia.

Tiruneh Abebaw A Kahase Daniel D Zemene Endalew E Tekalign Eyob E Solomon Absra A Mekonnen Zeleke Z

BMC public health 20200524 1

<h4>Background</h4>Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) infection is a significant public health problem in Ethiopia, and has wide distribution in the country. The impact of the disease is particularly high on school-age children. Nationwide 385 endemic districts were identified, whereby control and elimination interventions are underway using school-based annual mass drug administration (MDA) with praziquantel. The national elimination program targets endemic districts as a whole. The aim of this s ...[more]

PMID: 32448159

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Project description:BackgroundSchistosoma mansoni, causing intestinal schistosomiasis, is widely distributed in Ethiopia and new transmission foci are continually reported. Here we report new transmission sites and prevalence of S.mansoni infection among school children in Yachi areas, southwestern Ethiopia.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among school children of Yachi Yisa and Yachi Efo elementary schools, southwestern Ethiopia, from April 2017 to June 2017. Three hundred seventeen school children aged six to 15 years were randomly selected to provide stool specimens for helminth infection examination by Kato-Katz and formol-ether concentration techniques. Snail survey was carried out to assess schistosome infection in Biomphalaria pfeifferi. Laboratory bred mice were also exposed to schistosome cercariae shed by B. pfeifferi en masse for definite identification of Schistosoma species.ResultsFrom the 317 stool specimens examined using double Kato-Katz thick smear and single formol-ether concentration techniques, 224 (70.7%) were found positive for at least one intestinal helminth species. The most prevalent parasite was S. mansoni (42.9%) followed by Trichuris trichiura (34.1%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (14.2%). The prevalence of S. mansoni infection was significantly higher among the children attending Yachi Yisa School (49.4%) than those in Yachi Efo School (35.6%) (P?=?0.002). The study also revealed that there was a significantly higher prevalence of S.mansoni infection among males (51.2%) than females (33.1%) (P?<?0.001). However, the prevalence of S.mansoni infection was not significantly associated with age categories (P?=?0.839). B. pfeifferi snails infected with schistosomes were collected from the water bodies found in the study area. After six weeks post exposure, adult S. mansoni worms were harvested from the mesenteric veins of laboratory bred mice.ConclusionsThe study revealed establishment of new S. mansoni transmission foci and moderate prevalence of schistosomiasis in Yachi areas. Hence, treatment of all school-age children once every two years is recommended. Snail control and non-specific control approaches including provision of clean water supply and health education should also complement mass drug administration of praziquantel.

Project description:BackgroundSub-Saharan Africa harbors the majority of the global burden of malaria and schistosomiasis infections. The co-endemicity of these two tropical diseases has prompted investigation into the mechanisms of coinfection, particularly the competing immunological responses associated with each disease. Epidemiological studies have shown that infection with Schistosoma mansoni is associated with a greater malaria incidence among school-age children.MethodologyWe developed a co-epidemic model of malaria and S. mansoni transmission dynamics which takes into account key epidemiological interaction between the two diseases in terms of elevated malaria incidence among individuals with S. mansoni high egg output. The model was parameterized for S. mansoni high-risk endemic communities, using epidemiological and clinical data of the interaction between S. mansoni and malaria among children in sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated the potential impact of the S. mansoni-malaria interaction and mass treatment of schistosomiasis on malaria prevalence in co-endemic communities.Principal findingsOur results suggest that in the absence of mass drug administration of praziquantel, the interaction between S. mansoni and malaria may reduce the effectiveness of malaria treatment for curtailing malaria transmission, in S. mansoni high-risk endemic communities. However, when malaria treatment is used in combination with praziquantel, mass praziquantel administration may increase the effectiveness of malaria control intervention strategy for reducing malaria prevalence in malaria- S. mansoni co-endemic communities.Conclusions/significanceSchistosomiasis treatment and control programmes in regions where S. mansoni and malaria are highly prevalent may have indirect benefits on reducing malaria transmission as a result of disease interactions. In particular, mass praziquantel administration may not only have the direct benefit of reducing schistosomiasis infection, it may also reduce malaria transmission and disease burden.

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Identification of transmission foci of Schistosoma mansoni: narrowing the intervention target from district to transmission focus in Ethiopia.

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Identification of transmission foci of Schistosoma mansoni: narrowing the intervention target from district to transmission focus in Ethiopia.

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