Environmental contamination and risk factors for geohelminth transmission in three informal settlements in Durban metrop
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Environmental contamination and risk factors for geohelminth transmission in three informal settlements in Durban metropole, South Africa Kelleen David1
•
Christopher A. Appleton1 • Samson Mukaratirwa1,2
Received: 10 June 2020 / Accepted: 3 September 2020 Ó Indian Society for Parasitology 2020
Abstract Informal settlements/slums are characterised by a lack of adequate sanitation and safe drinking water. Contaminated soil and water sources combined with poor hygiene and environmental conditions results in the transmission of soil transmitted helminths to humans. The aim of the present study was to assess environmental contamination and risk factors for geohelminth transmission in three informal settlements in Durban, South Africa. Each settlement had different types of sanitation facilities namely; flush toilets, pit latrines and chemical toilets. Thirty adult members from 30 households from each settlement were interviewed to determine their knowledge, attitudes and behaviour on geohelminth transmission. Furthermore, two hundred soil samples were collected from areas considered potential sources of infection and processed for the detection and identification of geohelminth eggs. Prevalence and intensities of geohelminth infections from school-age children were also assessed. From the total collection in the three settlements, 31.6% (95/190) were positive for geohelminth eggs with Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and Taenia spp. eggs being recovered. Quarry Road West (57%; 114/200) showed the highest levels of soil contamination followed by Briardene (27%; 54/200) and Smithfield (11%; 22/200). Stool samples collected from 135 children were found to contain parasite eggs of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura.
& Kelleen David [email protected] 1
School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa
2
One Health Center for Zoonoses and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
Prevalences and intensities of infection were highest in Quarry Road West for both A. lumbricoides (42%, 57/135; 6.0eggs/g) and T. trichiura (10%, 14/135; 1.9eggs/g) and 9.6% (13/135) harboured dual infections. Open defaecation by community members was observed as the main contributing factor for the presence of geohelminth eggs in soil. Keywords Informal settlements Sanitation Soil contamination Geohelminth eggs Infection rates
Introduction Globally, rapid urbanisation is in progress and the urban population is expected to reach 60% of the world population by the year 2030 (Zerbo et al. 2020). In most cases, urban areas are unable to support the needs of increasing populations, resulting in the creation of areas with extreme poverty (Opisa et al. 2012). Slums or informal settlements have therefore become a prominent feature of most urban areas in developing countries and the proportion of the world’s population living in these areas is increasing (Appleton et al. 2009). According to the Unit
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