Authors

Discussion

Southeast Asia has a substantial burden of soil-transmitted helminths (STH). In Myanmar, STH control is achieved via an annual mass drug administration (MDA) programme targeting school-aged children (SAC). Community-wide studies into STH prevalence and intensity are required to identify reservoirs of infection post-MDA. A longitudinal study into STH infection was undertaken in two villages in southern Myanmar, Udo village and Kyee Kan Theik village. Stool samples were assessed for STH infection by the Kato-Katz method. All subjects were treated with albendazole. The same procedure was repeated four months later. Baseline prevalence for Udo village (n=305) was 6.89% for Ascaris lumbricoides, 17.38% for Trichuris trichiura and 13.44% for hookworm, and for Kyee Kan Theik village (n=407) was 4.18% for A.lumbricoides, 18.67% for T.trichiura and 5.16% for hookworm. A.lumbricoides and T.trichiura prevalence was highest in SAC, whereas hookworm prevalence was highest in adult age groups. In the second round, overall prevalence decreased between the first and second rounds for each STH but prevalence increased in some age groups, dependent on species and village. Overall intensity decreased between rounds, except for A.lumbricoides and hookworm in Udo village. STH infection in our study sites in southern Myanmar is at low prevalence and intensity levels, but transmission is still occur