Subject(s)
Aged , Child , Female , Health Policy , Humans , India , National Health Programs , Public Health Administration , Social WelfareABSTRACT
A collaborative survey was carried out to estimate the prevalence of ascariasis and ancylostomiasis in random samples of 200 families in each of 3 different communities: a city slum (CS), an industrial township (IT), a farming village community (FVC). Stool examination was done by Kato's qualitative thick smear method. Ascariasis was prevalent in all the three communities; the percentage of families with multiple members infected varied from 50 to 91 per cent; the percentage of members infected within such a family varied from 48 to 74 per cent; the infection was highly prevalent (41-78%) in all age groups excepts adults in the IT. From 8 to 11 per cent of persons with ascariasis were negative on stool examination but passed worms after medication. Ancylostomiasis was arevelent mainly in the FVC and to a less extent in the IT; the percentage of families with multiple members infected was 83 per cent in the FVC and 17 per cent in the IT; the percentage of members infected within such a family was 54 per cent in the FVC and 58 per cent in the IT. All the persons surveyed received a single 10 mg/kg dose of pyrantel pamoate (Combantrin*, Pfizer) which was well tolerated.
Subject(s)
Ancylostomiasis/epidemiology , Ascariasis/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , India , Rural Population , Urban PopulationABSTRACT
Between June 1986 and September 1987 a population of 100 families was dewormed every 3 months (quarter) by using a single dose of pyrantel. Stool samples were examined by Kato's thick smear method; height (m), weight (kg), hemoglobin concentration (g/dl) and clinical morbidity were recorded before each deworming treatment. Clinical morbidity was recorded in another 100 control families who did not receive anthelmlntics. There were 477 and 490 individuals in the study and the control families respectively. In the study group the prevalence of roundworm was reduced from 10.3% to to 0% and that of hookworm infection was reduced from 2.9% to 0% after 2 quarters. At the end of the 4th quarter the mean hemoglobin rose by 0.1 g/dl (P less than 0.01) and the mean BMI increased by 0.37 (P less than 0.01). There was a significant reduction in the clinical morbidity in the study group compared with the control group (P less than 0.05). There were no side effects reported to pyrantel treatment. Thus quarterly treatment with pyrantel was found to be effective in keeping roundworm and hookworm prevalence at 0% in an industrial township.