Prevalence, Age Profile, and Associated Risk Factors for Hymenolepis nana Infection in a Large Population-Based Study in Northern Peru

Authors

Percy M. Vilchez Barreto, Universidad Peruana Cayetano HerediaFollow
Ricardo Gamboa, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
Saul Santivañez, Instituto Peruano de Parasitología Clínica y ExperimentalFollow
Seth E. O'Neal, OHSU-PSU School of Public HealthFollow
Claudio Muro, Universidad Peruana Cayetano HerediaFollow
Andrés G. Lescano, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
Luz M. Moyano, Universidad Peruana Cayetano HerediaFollow
Guillermo Gonzálvez, Organización Panamericana de la Salud OPS/OMSFollow
Hector H. García, Universidad Peruana Cayetano HerediaFollow

Sponsor

This study was partially funded by research grant number 23981 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (23981) fund ongoing cysticercosis research by the authors. Lescano is sponsored by the training grant D43 TW007393 awarded by the Fogarty International Center of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Published In

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-2017

Subjects

Tapeworms -- Control, Epidemiology -- Case studies

Abstract

Hymenolepis nana, the dwarf tapeworm, is a common intestinal infection of children worldwide. We evaluated infection and risk factor data that were previously collected from 14,761 children aged 2-15 years during a large-scale program in northern Peru. We found that 1,124 of 14,761 children (7.61%) had H. nana infection, a likely underestimate given that only a single stool sample was examined by microscopy for diagnosis. The strongest association with infection was lack of adequate water (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 2.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.82-2.48) and sanitation infrastructure in the house (aPR 1.94, 95% CI 1.64-2.29). One quarter of those tested did not have a bathroom or latrine at home, which doubled their likelihood of infection. Similarly, one quarter did not have piped public water to the house, which also increased the likelihood of infection. Continued efforts to improve access to basic water and sanitation services will likely reduce the burden of infection in children for this and other intestinal infections.

Description

Copyright © 2017 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Article was published in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine And Hygiene, 97(2), 583-586 and can be found online at: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.16-0939

Locate the Document

DOI

10.4269/ajtmh.16-0939

Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/21293

Citation Details

Vilchez Barreto, P. M., Gamboa, R., Santivañez, S., O'Neal, S. E., Muro, C., Lescano, A. G., & ... For The Cysticercosis Working Group In Perú, C. (2017). Prevalence, Age Profile, and Associated Risk Factors for Hymenolepis nana Infection in a Large Population-Based Study in Northern Peru. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine And Hygiene, 97(2), 583-586.