Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T03:45:22.071Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The importance of host age and sex to patterns of reinfection with Ascaris lumbricoides following mass anthelmintic treatment in a South Indian fishing community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

D. B. Elkins ,
Melissa Haswell-Elkins  and
R. M. Anderson
D. B. Elkins
Affiliation:
Parasite Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Pure and Applied Biology, Imperial College, University of London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BB
Melissa Haswell-Elkins
Affiliation:
Parasite Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Pure and Applied Biology, Imperial College, University of London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BB
R. M. Anderson
Affiliation:
Parasite Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Pure and Applied Biology, Imperial College, University of London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BB
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Analysis of egg and worm counts of Ascaris recorded at various intervals following a mass anthelmintic treatment programme in a South Indian fishing community is presented. Three indices of infection in the community are compared, namely the prevalence and intensity of egg output (at 2, 6 and 11 months following treatment) and the number of worms expelled following an 11 month period of reinfection. Detailed examination of these measurements revealed significant associations with patient sex and age. The age-prevalence profile of Ascaris infection changed little over time (except immediately following treatment) with the peak prevalence found in the 5–9 year age group. Although 85% of both males and females harboured Ascaris initially, the prevalence following 11 months reinfection was decreased, due to a significantly lower proportion of males being reinfected. By the 11th month of reinfection, the age-intensity profiles of egg output were similar to those observed at initial treatment in the older age groups (10 years and above) and in male children (< 10 years). However, a dramatic increase in the egg output of female children, greatly exceeding the initial mean, was observed within a 6 month period of reinfection. The intensity of egg output did not accurately reflect the abundance of Ascaris recovered via drug-induced expulsion following an 11 month period of reinfection. Although the egg output attained preintervention levels, the average worm intensity reached only half the initial value. The trends in the sex- and age-intensity profiles were consistent at the two sampling dates and showed similar patterns to the egg output curves. The relevance of the results to helminth control and the monitoring of reinfection is discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 96 , Issue 1 , February 1988 , pp. 171 - 184
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Anderson, R. M. (1986). The population dynamics and epidemiology of intestinal nematode infections. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 80, 686–96.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anderson, R. M. & May, R. M. (1982). Population dynamics of human helminth infections: control by chemotherapy. Nature, London 297, 557–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anderson, R. M. & May, R. M. (1985). Helminth infections of humans: mathematical models, population dynamics and control. Advances in Parasitology 24, 1–101.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anderson, R. M. & Medley, G. F. (1985). Community control of helminth infections of man by mass and selective chemotherapy. Parasitology 90, 629–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arfaa, F. & Ghadirian, E. (1977). Epidemiology and mass treatment of ascariasis in six rural communities in Central Iran. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 26, 866–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bundy, D. A. P. (1986). Epidemiological aspects of Trichuris and trichuriasis in Caribbean communities. Trarisactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 80, 706–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chai, J. H., Seo, B. S., Lee, S. H. & Cho, S. Y. (1983). Epidemiological studies on Ascaris lumbricoides reinfection in rural communities in Korea. II. Age-specific reinfection rates and familial aggregation of reinfected cases. Korean Journal of Parasitology 21, 142–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Croll, N. A., Anderson, R. M., Gyorkos, T. W. & Ghadirian, E. (1982). The population biology and control of Ascaris lumbricoides in a rural community in Iran. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 76, 187–97.Google Scholar
Elkins, D. B., Haswell-Elkins, M. R. & Anderson, R. M. (1980). The epidemiology and control of intestinal helminths in the Pulicat Lake region of Southern India. I. Study design and pre- and posttreatment observations on Ascaris lumbricoides infection. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 80, 774–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, A. (1981). Aspects of Parasitic Infection and Host Nutrition. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Cambridge.Google Scholar
Haswell-Elkins, M. R., Elkins, D. B., Manjula, K., Michael, E. & Anderson, R. M. (1987). The distribution and abundance of Enterobius vermicularis in a South Indian fishing community. Parasitology 95, 339–54.Google Scholar
Morishita, K. (1972). Studies on the epidemiological aspects of ascariasis in Japan and basic knowledge concerning its control. In Progress of Medical Parasitology in Japan, Vol. 4, (ed. Morishita, K., Komiya, Y. and Matsubayashi, H.). Meguro Parasitology Museum. Tokyo.Google Scholar
Pawlowski, Z. S. (1985). Control of Ascaris in primary health care. In Ascariasis and its Public Health Significance, (ed. Crompton, D. W. T., Nesheim, M. C. and Pawlowski, Z. S.). London: Taylor and Francis.Google Scholar
Seo, B. S. (1980). Control problems of ascariasis in Korea with special reference on the related biology and epidemiology. In Collected Papers on the Control of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis, Vol. 2, pp. 194–216, (ed. Yokogawa, M. et al. ). Asian Parasite Control Organization, Tokyo, Japan.Google Scholar
Seo, B. S., Cho, S. Y., Chai, J. Y. & Hono, S. T. (1980). Comparative efficacy of various interval mass treatment on Ascaris lumbricoides infection in Korea. Korean Journal of Parasitology 18, 145–51.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thein-Hlaing, (1985). Ascaris lumbricoides in Burma. In Ascariasis and its Public Health Significance, (ed. Crompton, D. W. T., Xesheim, M. C. and Pawlowski, Z. S.), pp. 30–45. London: Taylor and Francis.Google Scholar
Thein-Hlaing, , Than-Saw, , Htay-Htay-Aye, , Myint-Lwin, & Thein-Maung-Myint, (1984). Epidemiology and transmission dynamics of Ascaris lumbricoides in Okpo village, rural Burma. Transactions of the Royal Society ofTropial Medicine and Hygiene 78, 497–504.Google Scholar
Thein-Hlaing, , Than-Saw, & Myint-Lwin, (1987). Reinfection of people with Ascaris lumbricoides following single, 6-month and 12-month interval mass chemotherapy in Okpo village, rural Burma. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 81, 140–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walsh, J. A. & Warren, K. S. (1979). Selective primary health care. An interim strategy for disease control in developing countries. New England Journal of Medicine 301, 967–74.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yokogawa, M. (1985). JOICFP's experience in the control of ascariasis within an integrated programme. In Ascariasis and its Public Health Significance, (ed. Crompton, D. W. T., Xeisheim, M. C. and Pawlowski, Z. S.), pp. 26–278. London: Taylor & Francis.Google Scholar