{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T03:56:26Z","timestamp":1790740586915,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,26]],"date-time":"2023-09-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1695686400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"The Task Force for Global Health, Inc. USA"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosntds.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS Negl Trop Dis"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are caused by roundworms (<jats:italic>Ascaris lumbricoides<\/jats:italic>), whipworms (<jats:italic>Trichuris trichiura<\/jats:italic>), and hookworms (<jats:italic>Necator americanus<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Ancylostoma duodenale<\/jats:italic>). In Uganda, baseline surveys conducted during the late 1990s and early 2000s suggested STH infections were common, with prevalence &gt;50% among surveyed schoolchildren. In 2003, a national program was launched with mass preventative chemotherapy (PC) and health education for children 1\u201314 years old. Little evidence is available to show the impact of national deworming.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>We conducted population-based, cross-sectional household surveys in five districts (Buikwe, Kassanda, Kiryandongo, Kisoro, and Rubanda) in March and May 2022. Our primary objective was to estimate STH prevalence by species due to infections of any intensity and infections of moderate-to-heavy intensity among preschool-aged children (PSAC, 1\u20134 years old), school-aged children (SAC, 5\u201314 years old), and women of reproductive age (WRA, 15\u201349 years old). Laboratory technicians used duplicate Kato-Katz microscopy to determine fecal egg count.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Overall, 3,352 PSAC; 3,884 SAC; and 1,226 WRA provided stool samples. The prevalence of any infection remained high in Kisoro at or above ~50% within all risk groups. In other districts, the prevalence of any infection ranged from approximately 5 to 16% among PSAC, 6 to 23% among SAC, and 12 to 19% among WRA. Moderate-to-heavy intensity infection prevalence was highest in Kisoro (~15\u201326%), followed by Rubanda (&lt;5%), and was \u22641% in other districts. <jats:italic>A<\/jats:italic>. <jats:italic>lumbricoides<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>T<\/jats:italic>. <jats:italic>trichiura<\/jats:italic> infections were largely confined to Kisoro and Rubanda, whereas hookworm was most common in other districts.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The STH prevalence has decreased markedly in three districts in Uganda. Based on our findings, the national deworming program should consider decreasing PC distribution frequency in these districts per the World Health Organization guidelines. Efforts are needed to understand why the Kisoro and Rubanda districts did not demonstrate similar gains.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0011605","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,26]],"date-time":"2023-09-26T17:21:16Z","timestamp":1695748876000},"page":"e0011605","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pntd.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminth infections in Uganda: Results from population-based prevalence surveys in five districts"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9572-9413","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Benjamin","family":"Tinkitina","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Prudence","family":"Beinamaryo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Moses","family":"Adriko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Betty","family":"Nabatte","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Moses","family":"Arinaitwe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alfred","family":"Mubangizi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paul","family":"Emerson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sanjaya","family":"Dhakal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kristin M.","family":"Sullivan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"pntd.0011605.ref001","article-title":"Soil-transmitted helminth infections","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2023","journal-title":"In: Soil-transmitted helminth infections [Internet]."},{"key":"pntd.0011605.ref002","volume-title":"Ending the neglect to attain the Sustainable Development Goals\u2013A road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021\u20132030.","year":"2020"},{"key":"pntd.0011605.ref003","first-page":"CD012199","article-title":"Interventions to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene for preventing soil-transmitted helminth infection.","volume":"6","author":"JV Garn","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev."},{"key":"pntd.0011605.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-019-3532-6","article-title":"The role of water, sanitation and hygiene interventions in reducing soil-transmitted helminths: interpreting the evidence and identifying next steps.","volume":"12","author":"S Vaz Nery","year":"2019","journal-title":"Parasit Vectors."},{"key":"pntd.0011605.ref005","first-page":"1","article-title":"Interventions to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene for preventing soil-transmitted helminth infection.","author":"MC Freeman","year":"2016","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev."},{"key":"pntd.0011605.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e1001620","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmed.1001620","article-title":"Water, sanitation, hygiene, and soil-transmitted helminth infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","volume":"11","author":"EC Strunz","year":"2014","journal-title":"PLoS Med"},{"key":"pntd.0011605.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1187","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-3156.2005.01509.x","article-title":"Soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Uganda: epidemiology and cost of control","volume":"10","author":"NB Kabatereine","year":"2005","journal-title":"Trop Med Int Health"},{"key":"pntd.0011605.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1065","DOI":"10.1017\/S0950268804003024","article-title":"Spatial analysis of the distribution of intestinal nematode infections in Uganda","volume":"132","author":"S Brooker","year":"2004","journal-title":"Epidemiol Infect"},{"key":"pntd.0011605.ref009","unstructured":"Preventive chemotherapy to control soil-transmitted helminth infections in at-risk population groups. 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