New Insights into the Epidemiology of Ascaris
Author Information
Author(s): Walker Martin, Hall Andrew, Basáñez María-Gloria
Primary Institution: Imperial College London
Hypothesis
What are the individual predisposition, household clustering, and risk factors for human infection with Ascaris lumbricoides?
Conclusion
Heterogeneities in exposure to infectious eggs play a significant role in the epidemiology of Ascaris lumbricoides infection, emphasizing the link between infection and acute poverty.
Supporting Evidence
- Individual predisposition to infection is weak once household clustering is accounted for.
- Household covariates explain approximately 58% of the variability in worm burdens.
- Socio-economic factors are significantly associated with increased worm burden.
Takeaway
Some people get more roundworms than others because of where they live and how poor they are. Families often have similar amounts of worms.
Methodology
Bayesian methods were used to fit a three-level hierarchical statistical model to A. lumbricoides worm counts from a chemo-expulsion study.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the exclusion of participants who were not satisfactorily de-wormed.
Limitations
The study relied on historical data and may not account for changes in environmental or socio-economic conditions since the data collection.
Participant Demographics
Participants were from 459 households in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with a focus on socio-economic status and household characteristics.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% BCI
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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