Soil Transmitted Helminths and Disease

Soil-transmitted helminthes, also known as intestinal worm infections. It is one of the most common parasite infections in the world. These infections are most prevalent in tropical and sub tropical regions of the developed world where adequate water and sanitations are lacking. Recent estimate suggesting that A. lumbricoids infects 1,221 million people, T.trichuira 795 million, and hookworms 740 million (Desilva et., 2003). Chronic and intense soil transmitted helminthes can contribute to malnutrition and iron-deficiency anemia and also can adversely affect physical and mental growth in childhood (Drake et al.,2000.,Stephenson et al.,2000., Hotez et al.,2004).

This parasitic infection is caused mainly by four main species of worms. These worms are the roundworms (Ascaris lumbricoides), whipworms (Trichuris trichiura) and hookworms (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necatar americanus).These species are mostly transmitted through the soil. The helminthes disease is named as the soil- transmitted helminthes because this infection is transmitted through ingestion of the nematode eggs in the soil, which is contaminated through excretion. The disease is mostly prevalent in warm and moist climate where sanitation and hygiene are poor and waters are unsafe mostly in the temperate zones during the hotter months.

Ascaris which is a soil- transmitted helminthes which is caused by large roundworms A.lumbricoides. It is said to be one of the most widely spread soil- transmitted helminthes, it affects almost 1 billion people. Half of the victim populations are in the tropical and sub- tropical areas. The conditions are mostly low and they often show little or sometimes are asymptomatic, chronic infections cause severe intestinal blockage and it impai...

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...tions are prevalent in the developed world because there is an inadequate supply of water and there is lack of sanitation in some of these communities.

The public health problems possessed by these soil- transmitted helminthes infections are caused by the ingestion of parasite eggs from contaminated soil. The infection of soil- transmitted helminthes is caused by genetics, environment, age, different populations and household clustering. Chronic and intense soil- transmitted helminthes infections can contribute to nutrition deficiency, iron deficiency and causes anemia, mental and physical growth retardation in childhood.

The global strategies can be controlled by the use of, Antihelminthic drugs like albendazole or mebendazole and regular deworming the children. It can be controlled by the improved of sanitation and by taking the step of health education.