Can human schistosomiasis mansoni control be sustained in high-risk transmission foci in Egypt?
Abstract Background Control of human schistosomiasis remains a longstanding issue on the agenda of the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP). Substantial impact on morbidity and prevalence of S. mansoni was widely reported after the National Schistosomiasis Control Program (NSCP) extende...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2015-07-01
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| Series: | Parasites & Vectors |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-015-0983-2 |
| _version_ | 1797811893560147968 |
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| author | Hala Elmorshedy Robert Bergquist Nadia Emam Abou El-Ela Safaa Mohamed Eassa Elham Elsayed Elsakka Rashida Barakat |
| author_facet | Hala Elmorshedy Robert Bergquist Nadia Emam Abou El-Ela Safaa Mohamed Eassa Elham Elsayed Elsakka Rashida Barakat |
| author_sort | Hala Elmorshedy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Control of human schistosomiasis remains a longstanding issue on the agenda of the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP). Substantial impact on morbidity and prevalence of S. mansoni was widely reported after the National Schistosomiasis Control Program (NSCP) extended selective treatment with praziquantel (PZQ) to the Nile Delta in 1992 and upgrading this approach to mass drug administration (MDA) in 1997. Disease elimination, however, eludes NSCP as the micro-level includes many high-risk foci that sustain transmission, which has not been subjected to investigation. Methods The study included five high-risk Nile Delta villages situated in the Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate. The total sample size amounted to 2382 individuals of both sexes and all ages. Diagnosis was based on four Kato-Katz slides from two consecutive stool samples. Data were investigated using SPSS, comparing proportions with the Chi square test and means with the Student t test, while strength of the associations were subjected to Odds Ratio (OR) analysis. Results The overall prevalence of schistosomiasis in the study area was found to be 29 %, while the mean geometric mean egg count (GMEC) was low (66.78 ± 4.4) indicating low intensity of infection. The mean village prevalence rates ranged from 16.5 % to 49.5 % and the GMECs from 35.2 to 86.2 eggs per gram (EPG) of stool. The difference of prevalence between villages was statistically significant at P < 0.05, and the prevalence was significantly higher among males than among females, P < 0.05, OR =1.4 and 95 % CI (1.16-1.60). Infection peaked in the next youngest age group (5- ≤ 10 years of age) at an average prevalence of 50.8 % with the GMEC reaching 209 EPG of stool in the village with the highest prevalence. The average prevalence and GMEC among children <5 years were 20.6 % and 92.7 EPG, respectively. Conclusion Transmission of S mansoni in high-risk areas in the Nile Delta remains uninterrupted calling for improved, more comprehensive control strategies. Further investigations are needed to find out whether these results are due to inefficacy of PZQ, surviving immature worms or drug resistance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:30:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-65d4e214baef47eeb57a548a3c4d0960 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-3305 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:30:30Z |
| publishDate | 2015-07-01 |
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| series | Parasites & Vectors |
| spelling | doaj.art-65d4e214baef47eeb57a548a3c4d09602023-06-04T11:07:47ZengBMCParasites & Vectors1756-33052015-07-01811810.1186/s13071-015-0983-2Can human schistosomiasis mansoni control be sustained in high-risk transmission foci in Egypt?Hala Elmorshedy0Robert Bergquist1Nadia Emam Abou El-Ela2Safaa Mohamed Eassa3Elham Elsayed Elsakka4Rashida Barakat5Department of Tropical Health, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria UniversityIngerod, Brastad, Sweden & University of BaselDepartment of Tropical Health, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria UniversityDepartment of Tropical Health, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria UniversityDepartment of Pediatric, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria UniversityDepartment of Tropical Health, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria UniversityAbstract Background Control of human schistosomiasis remains a longstanding issue on the agenda of the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP). Substantial impact on morbidity and prevalence of S. mansoni was widely reported after the National Schistosomiasis Control Program (NSCP) extended selective treatment with praziquantel (PZQ) to the Nile Delta in 1992 and upgrading this approach to mass drug administration (MDA) in 1997. Disease elimination, however, eludes NSCP as the micro-level includes many high-risk foci that sustain transmission, which has not been subjected to investigation. Methods The study included five high-risk Nile Delta villages situated in the Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate. The total sample size amounted to 2382 individuals of both sexes and all ages. Diagnosis was based on four Kato-Katz slides from two consecutive stool samples. Data were investigated using SPSS, comparing proportions with the Chi square test and means with the Student t test, while strength of the associations were subjected to Odds Ratio (OR) analysis. Results The overall prevalence of schistosomiasis in the study area was found to be 29 %, while the mean geometric mean egg count (GMEC) was low (66.78 ± 4.4) indicating low intensity of infection. The mean village prevalence rates ranged from 16.5 % to 49.5 % and the GMECs from 35.2 to 86.2 eggs per gram (EPG) of stool. The difference of prevalence between villages was statistically significant at P < 0.05, and the prevalence was significantly higher among males than among females, P < 0.05, OR =1.4 and 95 % CI (1.16-1.60). Infection peaked in the next youngest age group (5- ≤ 10 years of age) at an average prevalence of 50.8 % with the GMEC reaching 209 EPG of stool in the village with the highest prevalence. The average prevalence and GMEC among children <5 years were 20.6 % and 92.7 EPG, respectively. Conclusion Transmission of S mansoni in high-risk areas in the Nile Delta remains uninterrupted calling for improved, more comprehensive control strategies. Further investigations are needed to find out whether these results are due to inefficacy of PZQ, surviving immature worms or drug resistance.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-015-0983-2S mansoniControlPraziquantelNile Delta, Egypt |
| spellingShingle | Hala Elmorshedy Robert Bergquist Nadia Emam Abou El-Ela Safaa Mohamed Eassa Elham Elsayed Elsakka Rashida Barakat Can human schistosomiasis mansoni control be sustained in high-risk transmission foci in Egypt? Parasites & Vectors S mansoni Control Praziquantel Nile Delta, Egypt |
| title | Can human schistosomiasis mansoni control be sustained in high-risk transmission foci in Egypt? |
| title_full | Can human schistosomiasis mansoni control be sustained in high-risk transmission foci in Egypt? |
| title_fullStr | Can human schistosomiasis mansoni control be sustained in high-risk transmission foci in Egypt? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can human schistosomiasis mansoni control be sustained in high-risk transmission foci in Egypt? |
| title_short | Can human schistosomiasis mansoni control be sustained in high-risk transmission foci in Egypt? |
| title_sort | can human schistosomiasis mansoni control be sustained in high risk transmission foci in egypt |
| topic | S mansoni Control Praziquantel Nile Delta, Egypt |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-015-0983-2 |
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