Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STHs) infections remain a major public health problem in rural, low-resource communities where poor sanitation, environmental contamination, and limited healthcare access sustain transmission. Adults engaged in frequent soil contact like farming and mining are often excluded from deworming programmes, thereby making adults act as infection reservoirs.
This study assessed the epidemiology of STH infections among adult populations, evaluated soil matrices, drug usage, and human behavioural factors contributing to transmission of STH in Ibarapa and Oke-Ogun zones of Oyo State.
A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and September 2025. Structured questionnaire was administered to the participants to obtain socio-demographic factors, hygiene and sanitation practices and drug usage. 1560 stool samples were collected from adult participants and 2480 soil samples collected from five different locations. Stool and soil samples were analysed using standard parasitological techniques. Descriptive statistics and inferential tests were used to determine prevalence and associations, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.
Males and females participants were 32.9% and 67.1% respectively. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) data revealed that 52.6% of participants had assess to portable drinking water, 43.8% lacked access to good toilet facilities, with reliance on open defaecation, while 42.5% reported walking barefoot during daily or occupational activities. 68.5% of the participants claimed they practised proper hand washing with soap while the remaining 32.5% were inconsistent in the use of soap during hand-washing. Participation in MDA was moderate (50.7%) and significantly associated with reduced infection prevalence (χ2 = 8.74, p = 0.003). Parasites eggs/larvae encountered were Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm, Trichuris trichura, and Strongyloides stercoralis and a total of 20.5% of the participants were infected with at least one of the STH parasites. Ascaris had the highest parasite prevalence of 11.0%, followed by hookworm (6.9%) and Strongyloides (2.7%). 69.0% of soil samples collected were contaminated with STHs larva/eggs, with hookworm larva having the highest prevalence of 45.2%, followed by Strongyloides larva (40.1%), T. trichura eggs (6.5%), and the least was Ascaris eggs (5.3%).
STHs infections remain prevalent among adults population in study areas due to widespread environmental contamination and inadequate sanitation, highlighting the need for integrated control strategies combining improved WASH practices with expanded MDA beyond school-aged children.
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