Research Article Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections and Associated Risk Factors among Schoolchildren in Durbete Town,

Copyright © 2015 Tilahun Alelign et al.This is an open access article distributed under the Creative CommonsAttribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Identifying determinants of soil transmitted helminth infection is vital to design control strategy for the disease.This study assessed the prevalence of STH infections and associated factors among schoolchildren in Durbete town, northwestern Ethiopia. Data about the sociodemographic and socioeconomic status of the children were collected using a questionnaire and stool samples were diagnosed using thick Kato-Katz smear. STH infection was more common among school-age children in Durbete town. Hookworm was the most frequent helminth species detected. The prevalence of STH infection was more in children who did not practice wearing shoes and washing hands before eating and in those who were older in age. Deworming of school-age children in the study area would be important. In addition, provision of health education about helminths and the importance of wearing shoes and washing hands before eating would be important to reduce the burden of STH infection in the study area. 1. Background Infection with soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) is common in the world particularly in the rural developing regions. About 2 billion people in the world are infected with at least one species of STH (due to Ascaris lumbricoides, 1 billion