Katie Greenland|Ruth Dixon|Shabab Ahmed Khan|Kithsiri Gunawardena|Jimmy Kihara|Jennifer L. Smith|Lesley Drake|Prerna Makkar|Sri Raman|Sarman Singh|Santosh Kumar
The Epidemiology of Soil-Transmitted Helminths in Bihar State, India
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine|Imperial College London|Patna University|University of Kelaniya|London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine|Kenya Medical Research Institute|London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine|Imperial College London|London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research|Imperial College London|All India Institute of Medical Sciences
soiltransmitted helminths sths infect billion individuals worldwide india 241 million children estimated need deworming avert negative consequences sth infections child health development februaryapril 2011 17 million children bihar state dewormed governmentled schoolbased deworming campaign prior programme implementation study conducted assess sth prevalence schoolage population direct programme study also investigated risk factors sth infections including caste literacy defecation hygiene practices order inform development complementary interventionsa crosssectional survey conducted among children 20 schools bihar addition providing stool samples identification sth infections children completed short questionnaire detailing usual defecation handhygiene practices risk factors sth infections exploredin januaryfebruary 2011 1279 school children aged four seventeen provided stool samples 1157 children also completed questionnaire overall 68 children 1086 across schools infected one soiltransmitted helminth species prevalence ascariasis hookworm trichuriasis 52 42 5 respectively majority children 95 practiced open defecation reported frequently cleansing hands soil 61 increasing age lack maternal literacy certain castes independently associated hookworm infection absence handwashing station schools also independently associated lumbricoides infectionsth prevalence bihar high justifies mass deworming schoolaged children open defecation commonplace hands often cleansed using soil findings reported used help direct messaging appropriate mothers low levels literacy emphasise importance water sanitation control helminths diseases