Impacto del tratamiento en masa a largo plazo con ivermectina en la infección por geohelmintos en el nroeste de Ecuador.

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2008

RESUMO

Background: Control of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections relies on the periodic and long-term administration of anthelmintic drugs to high-risk groups, particularly school-age children living in endemic areas. There are limited data on the effectiveness of long-term periodic anthelmintic treatment on the prevalence of STHs, particularly from operational programmes. Objetive: The current study investigated the impact of up to 17 years of treatment with the broad-spectrum anthelmintic, ivermectin, used for the control of onchocerciasis, on STH prevalence and intensity in school-age children. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in communities that had received annual or twice-annual ivermectin treatments and in geographically adjacent communities that had not in two districts of Esmeraldas Province, in Ecuador. Single stool samples were collected from school-age children and examined for STH infection, using the Kato-Katz and the formolether concentration methods. Data on risk factors for STH infection were collected by parental questionnaire. Results: A total of 3,563 school-age children (6-16 years) from 31 treated and 27 non-treated communities were investigated. Ivermectin treatment had significant effects on the prevalence (ORadj= 0.06, 95% CI: 0.03-0.14) and intensity of Trichuris trichiura infection (PRadj=0.28, 95% CI: 0.11-0.70), but had no effect on Ascaris lumbricoides or hookworm infections. Conclusion: Annual and twice-annual treatments with ivermectin over a period of up to 17 years had a significant effect on T. trichiura infection but not other STH infections. The addition of a second anthelmintic drug such as albendazole may be useful for a long-term effect on A. lumbricoides infection in highly endemic areas.

ASSUNTO(S)

soil-transmitted helminths ivermectin niños escolares geohelmintos equador oncocercosis saude publica ivermectina onchocerciasis school children ecuador

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