Intestinal parasitosis and nutritional status in schoolchildren of Sahar district, Yemen.

The prevalence and intensity of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted parasites was estimated among third-year schoolchildren of Sahar district, Sa'dah governorate, Yemen, after 4 schistosomiasis control campaigns. Anthropometric measurements were used to assess nutritional status in relation to infection rates. The prevalence of schistosomiasis infection was low at 5.6%: 3.3% for Schistosoma haematobium (geometric mean 0.16 eggs/10 mL urine) and 2.3% for S. mansoni (0.18 eggs/g faeces). Ascaris lumbricoides was found in 0.4% of the children while other soil-transmitted helminths were not found. Stunting was found in 50.9%, wasting in 4.5% and underweight in 48.7% of the children examined; however, no positive association was found between infection and nutritional status indicators.

Intestinal parasitosis and nutritional status in schoolchildren of Sahar district, Yemen

The prevalence and intensity of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted parasites was estimated among third-year schoolchildren of Sahar district, Sa'dah governorate, Yemen, after 4 schistosomiasis control campaigns. Anthropometric measurements were used to assess nutritional status in relation to infection rates. The prevalence of schistosomiasis infection was low at 5.6%: 3.3% for Schistosoma haematobium [geometric mean 0.16 eggs/10 mL urine] and 2.3% for S. mansoni [0.18 eggs/g faeces]. Ascaris lumbricoides was found in 0.4% of the children while other soil-transmitted helminths were not found. Stunting was found in 50.9%, wasting in 4.5% and underweight in 48.7% of the children examined; however, no positive association was found between infection and nutritional status indicators

Some aspects in the control of schistosomosis and soil-transmitted helminthosis in Yemeni children.

OBJECTIVE: Prevalence, intensity and incidence of schistosomosis and soil-transmitted helminthosis among school children in an ignored area in Yemen were determined. The study aimed to investigate the impact of single doses of Praziquantel or Albenedazole or both, relating to sanitary, socioeconomic and behavioral practices on the prevalence and intensity of infections. METHODS: Out of a total number of 897 pupils, 453 were randomly selected from AlMahweet town and 444 from rural surrounding areas. Millipore filtration, modified Kato and precipitation techniques were applied for urine and stool analysis. RESULTS: Prevalence rates were 27% for schistosomosis, 61% for ascariosis, 21% for trichuriosis, 2% for fascilosis, 0.3% for entrobiosis, 0.7% for hook worm infection and 0.2% for strongloydiosis. Factors found confounding the relationship between schistosomosis and residence, under logistic regression analysis, were sex and frequency of water contact. Probability of infection by Bilharzia for boys who reside in rural AlMahweet and visit the water source is 0.52, compared to 0.30 for their mates who reside in AlMahweet town. Odds ratio estimates accounted for via residence was 2.5, via water contact 1.7 and via boys 3.2. With regards to other helminthic infections, availability of latrines remained the only significant factor under ANOVA. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, annual campaigns for treatment as a single control measure can reduce the infection rate of S. mansoni by 62.5%, T. trichura by 48% and A. lumbricoides by 24%. Whereas for S. hematobium the appropriate time interval for intervention should be shortened according to the findings of a properly designed intervention study before used as a single control measure. Since 77% of the children were infected by other helminthes, therefore mass treatment should be extended to cover all children. For those boys in rural AlMahweet who visited the water source during the week before the interview, mass treatment for schistosomosis is recommended since the prediction of infection rate reached 52%.

Nutritional status of Yemeni schoolchildren in Al-Mahweet Governorate.

The nutritional status of 948 children selected randomly from Al-Mahweet Governorate schools was investigated. Age range was 5-18 years with a mean of 10.6 +/- 2.8 years. Among the children, 3.4% had depleted iron and 43.4% had below average skin-fold thickness. Approximately half of the children were either stunted or chronically underweight and 1 child in 20 was underfed. Depleted fat stores affected two-fifths of the children and approximately one-fifth were anaemic. Urban residents scored significantly higher on nutritional parameters than rural children. Serum ferritin levels were significantly greater among males than females whereas mean height-for-age, weight-for-age and skin-fold thickness were lower.

Nutritional status of Yemeni schoolchildren in Al-Mahweet Governorate

The nutritional status of 948 children selected randomly from Al-Mahweet Governorate schools was investigated. Age range was 5-18 years with a mean of 10.6 +/- 2.8 years. Among the children, 3.4% had depleted iron and 43.4% had below average skin-fold thickness. Approximately half of the children were either stunted or chronically underweight and 1 child in 20 was underfed. Depleted fat stores affected two-fifths of the children and approximately one-fifth were anaemic. Urban residents scored significantly higher on nutritional parameters than rural children. Serum ferritin levels were significantly greater among males than females whereas mean height-for-age, weight-for-age and skin-fold thickness were lower

Schistosoma mansoni: maturation rate and drug susceptibility of different geographic isolates.

The fecundities and drug susceptibilities of Schistosoma mansoni isolates from Senegal, Puerto Rico, and Kenya have been examined in mice. The Senegal parasite, obtained from the field in 1993, was shown to have a longer prepatent period (eggs first recovered in the faeces on Day 46 after infection) than those of two isolates, from Puerto Rico and Kenya, that had been maintained for a long period in the laboratory (faecal eggs recovered on Days 38 and 36 after infection, respectively). A Kenyan isolate, also collected from the field in 1994, was shown to mature more slowly than the laboratory-maintained Kenyan isolate. Tissue egg counts confirmed that early in infection the fecundity of the recently collected isolates from Senegal and Kenya was significantly lower than that of the long-term laboratory-maintained Kenyan isolate. Praziquantel and oxamniquine treatment of 8-week-old infections caused a significant (P < 0.001) reduction in worm burden in all isolates tested. However, the reduction in worm burden after praziquantel treatment of infections of the Senegal isolate (50% reduction) was significantly lower than the > 90% reductions in worm burdens after praziquantel treatment of mice infected with either of the Kenyan isolates (P < 0.001). The study confirms that despite being tolerant to praziquantel, the Senegal isolate is fully susceptible to oxamniquine. The praziquantel tolerance of the Senegal parasite is not solely attributed to the state of maturation of the parasite at the time of drug administration.