Prevalence, intensity and risk factors of tungiasis in Kilifi County, Kenya: I. Results from a community-based study
<strong>Background</strong> Tungiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by female sand fleas (Tunga penetrans) embedded in the skin. The disease is associated with important morbidity. Tungiasis is endemic along the Coast of Kenya with a prevalence ranging from 11% to 50% in school-...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science
2017
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| _version_ | 1826268177465606144 |
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| author | Wiese, S Elson, L Reichert, F Mambo, B Feldmeier, H |
| author_facet | Wiese, S Elson, L Reichert, F Mambo, B Feldmeier, H |
| author_sort | Wiese, S |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <strong>Background</strong> Tungiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by female sand fleas (Tunga penetrans) embedded in the skin. The disease is associated with important morbidity. Tungiasis is endemic along the Coast of Kenya with a prevalence ranging from 11% to 50% in school-age children. Hitherto, studies on epidemiological characteristics of tungiasis in Africa are scanty. <br/><br/> <strong>Methods</strong> In a cross-sectional study 1,086 individuals from 233 households in eight villages located in Kakuyuni and Malanga Sub-locations, Kilifi County, on the Kenyan Coast, were investigated. Study participants were examined systematically and the presence and severity of tungiasis were determined using standard methods. Demographic, socio-economic, environmental and behavioral risk factors of tungiasis were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate regression analysis. <br/><br/> <strong>Results</strong> The overall prevalence of tungiasis was 25.0% (95% CI 22.4–27.5%). Age-specific prevalence followed an S-shaped curve, peaking in the under-15 year old group. In 42.5% of the households at least one individual had tungiasis. 15.1% of patients were severely infected (≥ 30 lesions). In the bivariate analysis no specific animal species was identified as a risk factor for tungiasis. Multivariate analysis showed that the occurrence of tungiasis was related to living in a house with poor construction characteristics, such as mud walls (OR 3.35; 95% CI 1.71–6.58), sleeping directly on the floor (OR 1.68; 95% CI 1.03–2.74), the number of people per sleeping room (OR = 1.77; 95% CI 1.07–2.93) and washing the body without soap (OR = 7.36; 95% CI 3.08–17.62). The odds of having severe tungiasis were high in males (OR 2.29; 95% CI 1.18–44.6) and were very high when only mud puddles were available as a water source and lack of water permitted washing only once a day (OR 25.48 (95% CI 3.50–185.67) and OR 2.23 (95% CI 1.11–4.51), respectively). <br/><br/> <strong>Conclusions</strong> The results of this study show that in rural Kenya characteristics of poverty determine the occurrence and the severity of tungiasis. Intra-domiciliary transmission seems to occur regularly. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T21:05:39Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:3c595fb8-762e-4b4d-ad54-2c862ce48b95 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T21:05:39Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:3c595fb8-762e-4b4d-ad54-2c862ce48b952022-03-26T14:13:10ZPrevalence, intensity and risk factors of tungiasis in Kilifi County, Kenya: I. Results from a community-based studyJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:3c595fb8-762e-4b4d-ad54-2c862ce48b95EnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordPublic Library of Science2017Wiese, SElson, LReichert, FMambo, BFeldmeier, H<strong>Background</strong> Tungiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by female sand fleas (Tunga penetrans) embedded in the skin. The disease is associated with important morbidity. Tungiasis is endemic along the Coast of Kenya with a prevalence ranging from 11% to 50% in school-age children. Hitherto, studies on epidemiological characteristics of tungiasis in Africa are scanty. <br/><br/> <strong>Methods</strong> In a cross-sectional study 1,086 individuals from 233 households in eight villages located in Kakuyuni and Malanga Sub-locations, Kilifi County, on the Kenyan Coast, were investigated. Study participants were examined systematically and the presence and severity of tungiasis were determined using standard methods. Demographic, socio-economic, environmental and behavioral risk factors of tungiasis were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate regression analysis. <br/><br/> <strong>Results</strong> The overall prevalence of tungiasis was 25.0% (95% CI 22.4–27.5%). Age-specific prevalence followed an S-shaped curve, peaking in the under-15 year old group. In 42.5% of the households at least one individual had tungiasis. 15.1% of patients were severely infected (≥ 30 lesions). In the bivariate analysis no specific animal species was identified as a risk factor for tungiasis. Multivariate analysis showed that the occurrence of tungiasis was related to living in a house with poor construction characteristics, such as mud walls (OR 3.35; 95% CI 1.71–6.58), sleeping directly on the floor (OR 1.68; 95% CI 1.03–2.74), the number of people per sleeping room (OR = 1.77; 95% CI 1.07–2.93) and washing the body without soap (OR = 7.36; 95% CI 3.08–17.62). The odds of having severe tungiasis were high in males (OR 2.29; 95% CI 1.18–44.6) and were very high when only mud puddles were available as a water source and lack of water permitted washing only once a day (OR 25.48 (95% CI 3.50–185.67) and OR 2.23 (95% CI 1.11–4.51), respectively). <br/><br/> <strong>Conclusions</strong> The results of this study show that in rural Kenya characteristics of poverty determine the occurrence and the severity of tungiasis. Intra-domiciliary transmission seems to occur regularly. |
| spellingShingle | Wiese, S Elson, L Reichert, F Mambo, B Feldmeier, H Prevalence, intensity and risk factors of tungiasis in Kilifi County, Kenya: I. Results from a community-based study |
| title | Prevalence, intensity and risk factors of tungiasis in Kilifi County, Kenya: I. Results from a community-based study |
| title_full | Prevalence, intensity and risk factors of tungiasis in Kilifi County, Kenya: I. Results from a community-based study |
| title_fullStr | Prevalence, intensity and risk factors of tungiasis in Kilifi County, Kenya: I. Results from a community-based study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prevalence, intensity and risk factors of tungiasis in Kilifi County, Kenya: I. Results from a community-based study |
| title_short | Prevalence, intensity and risk factors of tungiasis in Kilifi County, Kenya: I. Results from a community-based study |
| title_sort | prevalence intensity and risk factors of tungiasis in kilifi county kenya i results from a community based study |
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