Soil – transmitted helminthes – a glimpse into the eastern horizon of India

Abstract

Introduction: The soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH) are important neglected tropical diseases (NTD) as they are often ignored for their chronic disease outcome. However, they continue to be diseases of public health importance globally. Aim & Objectives: To analyze the epidemiology and distribution trend of STH infections from stool samples received in a tertiary care hospital in eastern India in the last decade. Material & Methods: A retrospective observational cross-sectional study was conducted based on stool examination findings from patients attending Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine which is a referral centre of excellence for HIV-AIDS between January 2012 and July 2022. These samples were subjected to direct microscopic examination following formol-ether concentration method, modified Ziehl-Neelsen and Trichrome staining techniques and were subsequently followed by culture by Harada-Mori technique.The data collected were subsequently analysed. Results: Out of 5821 stool samples, 736 (12.64%) revealed at least one STH and the most common STH detected was Trichuris trichiura (289 samples). The annual distribution revealed that 220 out of 811 (27.13%) samples obtained in 2012 had STH, while in 2021, 18 out of 1358 (1.33%) samples had STH, thereby reflecting a declining trend over the last decade. Conclusion: Trichuris trichiura was the most common STH infection in our study. There has been a sharp decline in STH infections in eastern India in the past decade, thereby reflecting successful therapeutic and preventive interventions. However, strict vigil through intensive laboratory diagnosis is needed to keep the prevalence of STH, a disease of public health importance, under control.

Keywords

• soil-transmitted helminths
• neglected tropical diseases
• trichuris trichiura
• harada-mori technique