Prevalence, Intensities of Infections and Associated Factors of Intestinal Helminth Infections after Chemoprevention Campaign in Four Health Districts of The Littoral Region, Cameroon

Aims and Design

This was a community-based prospective study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and intensity of infections of soil-transmitted helminth infections and intestinal schistosomiasis among school-aged children and anti-helminthic chemoprevention non targeted group three months after anthelminthic chemoprevention campaign in the Littoral region of Cameroon.

Place and Duration of Study

The study was undergone in June 2024 in four health districts of the Littoral region situated at different distances from Douala metropolis namely Mambanda HD, Dibombari HD, Abo HD and Mbanga HD.

Methodology

All age consenting residents living in selected villages of any of health district and who provided a valid fresh stool sample was considered as study participant. The stool sample processed in laboratory using Kato-katz technique for detection and counting of stool bearing intestinal helminth eggs. Association of prevalence and intensity of specific helminth infections with respect to sociodemographic data were statistically analyzed assuming a p-value less than 0.05 as significant.

Results

A total 860 participants were included in the four health districts. The overall prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth infection and S. mansoni infections in the study area were 22.3% and 0.5% respectively. Prevalence of STH infections varied significantly between health districts, increasing from the town area at Mambanda HD (13.1%) to farther and almost rural health district at Abo HD (28.4%) and Mbanga (24.5%) (p=0.000). The prevalence of specific intestinal helminth also varied significantly between health districts, Mambanda HD and Abo HD showing the lowest and the highest prevalence respectively namely Ascaris lumbricoides 14.2% [7.6%-20.8%] (p=0.001), Trichuris trichiura 9.2% [5.6%-12%] (p=0.001), hookworm 5.6% [3%-5.6%] (p=0.003). Sex had no influence on specific STH infections. S. mansoni infections varied also between health districts from 0% to 1% (p=0.59). Age significantly influenced A. lumbricoides infections at Abo HD (p=0.03); T. trichiura infections in the study area (p=0.04), Dibombari HD (p=0.036) and Abo HD (p=0.032). Intensities of specific intestinal helminth infections were low in all health districts without significant variation of mean density of infections between HD.

Conclusion

Prevalence of STH significantly varied between health districts, were over threshold for chemoprevention in rural and semi-urban health districts. Age influenced STH prevalence. STH intensities of infections were globally low in all health districts after chemoprevention campaign. Schistosomiasis mansoni was hypoendemic.