Soil examination for soil-transmitted parasite: Importance and experience from Thailand

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Waenlor, Wirachit | Wiwanitkit, Viroj

Affiliations: Social Welfare Service, Maenam Hospital, Pakkred Nontaburi, Thailand | Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. Wirachit Waenlor, Social Welfare Service, Mae Nam Hospital, Pakked Nonthaburi, Thailand. Tel.: +66 891404135; E-mail: edweerachit@yahoo.com

Abstract: Helminthic diseases can be found worldwide, and the prevalence of helminthiases was also found to be closely associated with climatic and geographical factors. Soil-transmitted helminth infections are among the most prevalent of chronic human infections worldwide. Based on the demonstrable impact on child development, there is a global commitment to finance and implement control strategies with a focus on school-based chemotherapy programs. Children in the developing countries become the most important vulnerable group to these infections. The main reason is that they usually play within the grounds. Here, the authors summarize experience on previous reports on the soil-transmitted parasite contamination in Thailand. Also, the authors discuss the problem of soil-transmitted parasites as still being an important problem.

Keywords: Soil, parasite, transmission

Journal: Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 11-13, 2007