Journal/Magazine Articles

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9

The epidemiology of soil-transmitted helminths in Bihar state, India.
(Public Library of Science, 2015) Greenland, K.; Dixon, R.; Khan, S. A.; Gunawardena, K.; Kihara, J. H.; Smith, J. L.; Drake, L.; Makkar, P.; Raman, S.; Singh, S.; Kumar, S.
BACKGROUND: Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) infect over a billion individuals worldwide. In India, 241 million children are estimated to need deworming to avert the negative consequences STH infections can have on child health and development. In February-April 2011, 17 million children in Bihar State were dewormed during a government-led school-based deworming campaign. Prior to programme implementation, a study was conducted to assess STH prevalence in the school-age population to direct the programme. The study also investigated risk factors for STH infections, including caste, literacy, and defecation and hygiene practices, in order to inform the development of complementary interventions. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among children in 20 schools in Bihar. In addition to providing stool samples for identification of STH infections, children completed a short questionnaire detailing their usual defecation and hand-hygiene practices. Risk factors for STH infections were explored. RESULTS: In January-February 2011, 1279 school children aged four to seventeen provided stool samples and 1157 children also completed the questionnaire. Overall, 68% of children (10-86% across schools) were infected with one or more soil-transmitted helminth species. The prevalence of ascariasis, hookworm and trichuriasis was 52%, 42% and 5% respectively. The majority of children (95%) practiced open defecation and reported most frequently cleansing hands with soil (61%). Increasing age, lack of maternal literacy and certain castes were independently associated with hookworm infection. Absence of a hand-washing station at the schools was also independently associated with A. lumbricoides infection. CONCLUSIONS: STH prevalence in Bihar is high, and justifies mass deworming in school-aged children. Open defecation is common-place and hands are often cleansed using soil. The findings reported here can be used to help direct messaging appropriate to mothers with low levels of literacy and emphasise the importance of water and sanitation in the control of helminths and other diseases.
Controlling lymphatic filariasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis together in South Asia: opportunities and challenges
(Oxford University Press, 2006) Padmasiri, E.A.; Montresor, A.; Biswas, G.; de Silva, N.R.
Making the best of what we have: a plea for wider use of anthelmintics
(Indian Council of Medical Research, 2005) de Silva, N.
No Abstract Available
Geo-helminth infections in a rural area of Sri Lanka
(SEAMEO Regional Tropical Medicine and Public Health Project, 2001) Fernando, S.D.; Goonethilleke, H.; Weerasena, K.H.; Kuruppuarachchi, N.D.; Tilakaratne, D.; de Silva, D.; Wickremasinghe, A.R.
School children carry the heaviest burden of morbidity due to intestinal helminth infection. The objective of this investigation was to study geo-helminth infections in 349 school children aged 6 to 13 years living in a rural area of Sri Lanka. Stool samples were examined by direct saline smear in an initial survey to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and thereafter the children were followed up over a two year period with cross sectional surveys of stool samples being carried out at yearly intervals. Following collection of a stool sample, all the subjects were treated with mebendazole 500 mg as a single dose. Weights and heights were measured using standardized procedures. 2 ml of venous blood were collected from each subject under aseptic conditions to determine hematological indices. The prevalence of geo-helminth infections was low, and the prevalence declined during the two-year period from 5.4 percent in 1997 to 2.2 percent in 1998 and 2.0 percent in 1999 following yearly mass anti-helminth treatment. The incidence density was 0.021 cases per child year. The reduction in the prevalence from the baseline to the second survey is probably due to the reduction of the reservoir of infection among children as a result of mass treatment at baseline. The prevalence of infection during the second and third surveys were almost the same probably due to infections originating from other segments of the untreated population.
Morbidity due to intestinal geohelminth infections
(2000) de Silva, H.J.; de Silva, N.R.
No Abstract Available
Intestinal helminth infections among children in a slum community in Enderamulla
(Sri Lanka Medical Association, 1999) Udayani, W.I.; Uduwevidane, K.; Uvais, A.L.; Wanniarachchi, S.L.; Warnakulasuriya, S.N.; de Silva, N.R.
No Abstract available
Can we deworm this wormy world?
(Oxford University Press, 1998) Bundy, D.A.P.; de Silva, N.R.
While programmes such as the Rockefeller campaign were specifically targeted at a particular parasite species, the current trend is towards the simultaneous control of all the major geohelminth species. New, broad-spectrum, low-cost anthelmintics and new understanding of epidemiology have led to more cost-effective and sustainable strategies. The WHO, UNICEF and the World Bank all now support global and regional efforts to achieve control of morbidity from intestinal worms. In this paper, we aim to show what's new in clinical helminthology and what has brought about the great improvement in the success of the new approaches to control.
The Treatment and control of helminth infections prevalent in Sri Lanka
(The Kandy Society of Medicine, 1997) de Silva, N.R.; Guyatt, H.L.
The Prevalence and severity of soil transmitted helminths in an urban slum community in Colombo
(Sri Lanka Medical Association, 1981) de Silva, D.G.H.; Jayatilleka, S.M.
No abstract available

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