Ayenew Addisu1, Ayalew Jejaw Zeleke2, Abebe Genetu Bayih3, Hannock Tweya4, Collins Timire5, Werku Techilo6, Edward Mberu Kamau7, Florian Vogt8, Kristien Verdonck9. 1. Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia. ayenew.addisu@gmail.com. 2. Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia. ayalewjejaw@gmail.com. 3. Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia. abebegenetu@gmail.com. 4. International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France. hannock.tweya@gmail.com. 5. International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France. Collins.timire@theunion.org. 6. West Denbia District Health office, West Denbia, Ethiopia. werkutechilo@gmail.com. 7. Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. kamaued@who.int. 8. Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium. fvogt@itg.be. 9. Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium. tverdonck@itg.be.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Intestinal parasites have an insidious impact on human health. In response to high parasite frequencies in Northwest Ethiopia, mass drug administration (MDA) is provided for school children using albendazole/mebendazole (since 2007) and praziquantel (since 2015). The study objective was to assess trends and seasonal patterns of intestinal parasite infections in a context of MDA. METHODOLOGY: This was a descriptive study collecting routine data from laboratory registers in two health centres in Denbia district, Amhara region. Stool test results (wet-mount direct microscopy) from patients attending these centres between 2013 and 2018 were included. Frequencies of different parasite species were evaluated within and across the years and stratified by age and gender. RESULTS: From a total of 8002 stool test results, the overall parasite frequency was 53.3%; this proportion remained constant. The most frequently diagnosed soil-transmitted helminths (STH) were Ascaris lumbricoides (16.9%) and hookworm (3.9%). STH frequency varied over the years, but was similar at the beginning (20.0%) and the end (22.0%) of the six-year period. STH infections were more frequent in winter (December-February; 20.4%) than in other seasons (16.0%). The most frequently diagnosed protozoa were Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (18.5%) and Giardia lamblia (12.2%). The frequency of Giardia steadily increased from 9.6% in 2013 to 15.3% in 2018. E. histolytica/dispar peaked in summer and G. lamblia in autumn. CONCLUSIONS: Trends in routine laboratories may be a proxy for a status quo in the community. These findings suggest that higher MDA coverages and/or interventions beyond MDA are needed to reduce intestinal parasite-related morbidity. Copyright (c) 2020 Ayenew Addisu, Ayalew Jejaw Zeleke, Abebe Genetu Bayih, Hannock Tweya, Collins Timire, Werku Techilo, Edward Mberu Kamau, Florian Vogt, Kristien Verdonck.
INTRODUCTION: Intestinal parasites have an insidious impact on human health. In response to high parasite frequencies in Northwest Ethiopia, mass drug administration (MDA) is provided for school children using albendazole/mebendazole (since 2007) and praziquantel (since 2015). The study objective was to assess trends and seasonal patterns of intestinal parasite infections in a context of MDA. METHODOLOGY: This was a descriptive study collecting routine data from laboratory registers in two health centres in Denbia district, Amhara region. Stool test results (wet-mount direct microscopy) from patients attending these centres between 2013 and 2018 were included. Frequencies of different parasite species were evaluated within and across the years and stratified by age and gender. RESULTS: From a total of 8002 stool test results, the overall parasite frequency was 53.3%; this proportion remained constant. The most frequently diagnosed soil-transmitted helminths (STH) were Ascaris lumbricoides (16.9%) and hookworm (3.9%). STH frequency varied over the years, but was similar at the beginning (20.0%) and the end (22.0%) of the six-year period. STH infections were more frequent in winter (December-February; 20.4%) than in other seasons (16.0%). The most frequently diagnosed protozoa were Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (18.5%) and Giardia lamblia (12.2%). The frequency of Giardia steadily increased from 9.6% in 2013 to 15.3% in 2018. E. histolytica/dispar peaked in summer and G. lamblia in autumn. CONCLUSIONS: Trends in routine laboratories may be a proxy for a status quo in the community. These findings suggest that higher MDA coverages and/or interventions beyond MDA are needed to reduce intestinal parasite-related morbidity. Copyright (c) 2020 Ayenew Addisu, Ayalew Jejaw Zeleke, Abebe Genetu Bayih, Hannock Tweya, Collins Timire, Werku Techilo, Edward Mberu Kamau, Florian Vogt, Kristien Verdonck.