The prevalence of helminths infection and health behavior among the school students in the Rural Areas Children and Youths Royal Development Project under the Patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn in Buriram and Surin provinces, 2019
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/dcj.2021.22Keywords:
prevalence rate, helminthiasis, health behaviors, school students under the project of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Kato techniqueAbstract
Helminthiasis still remains a public health problem in developing countries around the world, especially in the tropical region, including Thailand. This work infection still affects vulnerable groups living in the rural and remote areas -- among them children and youth groups. To determine the scale of this health problem, stool samples were collected from 1,720 students from kindergarten to lower secondary school (grade 9) level of 12 schools in Buriram and Surin provinces under the royal patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn during May to August 2019 for detecting helminth eggs by Modified Kato thick smear and egg count for intensity by Modified Kato Katz. The results showed that the prevalence of this parasitic infection was 27 cases (1.57%). The most common age range is 6-8 years, male have a higher risk of infection than female. The top three helminth infections were hookworm 13 cases (0.76%), Opisthorchis viverrini (Ov) 6 cases (0.35%), and Trichuris trichiura (Tt) 3 cases (0.17%). The intensity of hookworm infection was found to be in a low level (EPG<2,000), mean egg count per gram of feces (MEPG) 207, the same was detect for Ov, which was also found to be in a low level (EPG<1,000), with an MEPG of 84.33. In addition to determination of prevalence of helminthiasis, the assessment of the students’ health behavior in the same 12 schools was performed in parallel with stool collection among 905 grade-4 to grade-9 students. Most of them had acquired good knowledge about parasitic worms. Some students were found to have improper health behavior which increased the risk of exposure to helminth such as eating raw or undercooked food, and poor personal hygiene. Only 49.39% of students regularly provided stool sample for examination, making it impossible to determine the prevalence of infection among the remainder of the student population. Therefore, it is very difficult to identify and prevent parasitic infections. This is still an important health issue that affects students’ health. Therefore, there should be a plan in place to strengthen health literacy program to promote health behavior to help reduce the infection and transmission rates.
Downloads
References
World Health Organization. Soil-transmitted helminth infections. Key facts [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2019 Jul 22]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/soil-transmitted-helminth-infections
Division of Communicable Diseases. Operational guidelines for the project helminth control under H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's project. Nonthaburi: Division of Communicable Diseases; 2019. (in Thai)
World Health Organization. Helminth control in school age children: a guide for managers of control programmes. 2nd ed. [Internet]: 2011 [cited 2019 Feb 10]. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/44671/9789241548267_eng.pdf
Padchasuwan N, Banchonhattakit P, Kaewpitoon N, Rattanapitoon N. Health literacy associated with liver fluke prevention and control among secondary school students in Northeast Thailand. Suranaree Journal of Science and Technology. 2018;25(3):307-18. (in Thai)
Suwansaksri J, Garnngarndee U, Wiwanitkit V, Soogarun S. Study of factors influencing intestinal parasitic infections in a rural community in northeastern Thailand. Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health. 2003;34(2):94-7.
Office of Disease Prevention and Control, Region 9 Nakhon Ratchasima. Report of the prevalence of helminthiasis among students under the Royal project 2016-2018 in the Regional Health 9. Nakhon Ratchasima: Office of Disease Prevention and Control, Region 9 Nakhon Ratchasima; 2018. (in Thai)
Sripa B, Tangkawattana S, Sangnikul T. The Lawa model: A sustainable, integrated opisthorchiasis control program using the Eco Health approach in the Lawa Lake region of Thailand. Parasitol Int [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2019 Feb 15];66(4):346-54. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parint.2016.11.013
Gordon CA, Kurscheid J, Jones MK, Gray DJ, McManus DP. Soil-transmitted helminths in tropical Australia and Asia. Trop Med Infect Dis [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2019 Feb 14];2(4):56. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed2040056
Ketema H, Hordofa AB, Mekonnen Z. Prevalence of Necator americanus infection and risk factors among school-age children in Mirab Abaya District, South Ethiopia. Asian Pac J Trop Dis. 2015;5(5):362-8.
Martin LK, Beaver PC. Evaluation of Kato thick-smear technique for quantitative diagnosis of helminth infections. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 1968;17(3):382-91.
Katz N, Chaves A, Pellegrino J. A simple device for quantitative stool thick-smear technique in Schistosomiasis mansoni. Journal of the Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo. 1972;14(6):397-400.
Sajjavattana T, Sungkhabut W. Spatial distribution and risk behaviors of parasitic helminth Infection among students in the schools under the Border Patrol Police Sub-division 21. Journal of Health Science Research. 2016;10(4):394-401. (in Thai)
Silver ZA, Kaliappan SP, Samuel P, Venugopal S, Kang G, Sarkar R, et al. Geographical distribution of soil transmitted helminths and the effects of community type in South Asia and South East Asia – A systematic review. PLOS Negl Trop Dis. 2018;12(1):e0006153.
Cardinale V, Bragazzi MC, Carpino G, Matteo SD, Overi D, Nevi L, Gaudio E, Alvaro D. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: review and update. Hepatoma Res. 2018;4:20.
Salama RA, Labib MR. Prevalence of anemia among informal primary school children: a community based study in rural upper Egypt. Evidence Based Public Health. 2016;13(1):e11567-1-7.
Sripa B, Kaewkes S, Sithithaworn P, Mairiang E, Laha T, Smout M et al. Liver fluke induces cholangiocarcinoma. PLOS Medicine [Internet]. 2007 [cited 2019 Jan 2];4(7):e201. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0040201
Iftikhal A. The effects of applying protection motivation theory in term of disease prevention behaviors liver fluke in grade Ban Nong Hoi School, Muang District, Sakon Nakhon Province. Journal of the office of PDC 7 Khon Kaen. 2017;24(3):75-87. (in Thai)
Kongsila P, Saensak S, Thanasai J. Effects of a program to prevent opisthorchiasis on knowledgeand perceptions of health in the risk group. Journal of Health Science Research [Internet]. 2016 [cited 2019 Jul 26];10(2):19-28. Available from: https://he01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/ JHR/article/view/73966 (in Thai)
Adegnika AA, Zinsou JF, Issifou S, Ateba-Ngoa U, Kassa RF, Feugap EN, et al. Randomized, Controlled, Assessor-blind clinical trial to assess the efficacy of single versus repeated dose Albendazole to treat Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and Hookworm infection. Antimicrob Agents Chemother [Internet]. 2014 [cited 2019 Jul 3];58(5):2535-40. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.01317-13
Rosenthal PJ. Clinical pharmacology of the anthelmintic drugs. In: Katzung BG, Trevor AJ. Basic and clinical pharmacology. 13th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education; 2012. p. 908-17
Gyorkos TW, Maheu-Giroux M, Blouin B, Casapia M. Impact of health education on soil-transmitted helminth infections in schoolchildren of the Peruvian Amazon: A cluster-randomized controlled trial. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases [Internet]. 2013 [cited 2019 Feb 10];7(9):e2397. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002397
Sota C, Sithithawo P, Duangsong R, Three-Ost N. Effectiveness of health education media (handbook and VCD) for Ov preventing on primary school students. KKU Research Journal. 2011;16(7):809-910. (in Thai)
Deeprom C, Sirisuwan P. Prevention behaviors of the liver fluke among screened people for liver fluke in Bansonghong, Rongkham Sub-District, Rongkham District, Kalasin Province. KKU Journal for Public Health Research. 2018;11(1):28-37. (in Thai)
Namkhot P, Kamsa-ard S, Laopaiboon M, Kamsa-ard S, Banchonhattakit P. Effectiveness of health education methods for preventing liver fluke infection. Srinagarind Medical Journal. 2017;32(4):379-88. (in Thai)
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Articles published in the Disease Control Journal are considered as academic work, research or analysis of the personal opinion of the authors, not the opinion of the Thailand Department of Disease Control or editorial team. The authors must be responsible for their articles.
.png){kind=logo}
