Diagnosing Soil-Transmitted Helminths: The Importance of Multiple Stool Samples
Author Information
Author(s): Stefanie Knopp, Ali F. Mgeni, Khamis I. Simba, Peter Steinmann, J. Russell Stothard, David Rollinson, Hanspeter Marti, Jürg Utzinger
Primary Institution: Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland
Hypothesis
Does repeated stool sampling and the use of different diagnostic techniques improve the detection of soil-transmitted helminths in low-infection areas?
Conclusion
Using multiple stool samples and various diagnostic methods significantly improves the detection of soil-transmitted helminths.
Supporting Evidence
- Multiple stool samples increased the observed prevalence of hookworm by 161%.
- The diagnostic sensitivity of single stool sampling ranged from 20.7% to 84.2%.
- Using different diagnostic approaches together yielded the highest sensitivities.
- Three stool samples resulted in prevalences of T. trichiura, hookworm, A. lumbricoides, and S. stercoralis of 47.9%, 22.5%, 16.5%, and 10.8%, respectively.
- Rigorous epidemiologic surveillance is facilitated by multiple stool sampling.
Takeaway
To find out if kids have worm infections, it's better to check their poop multiple times and use different tests.
Methodology
Three stool samples from each child were examined using Kato-Katz, Koga agar plate, and Baermann techniques.
Limitations
The study was limited to schoolchildren in Zanzibar, which may not represent other populations.
Participant Demographics
The participants were 342 schoolchildren aged 7 to 20 years, with a median age of 12 years.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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