{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T18:29:31Z","timestamp":1786645771071,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786579200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are a major public health challenge in regions where they overlap with HIV\/AIDS. Children with HIV may be especially vulnerable to STHs due to immunosuppression, yet the burden and drivers of this co-infection among those on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Zambia are not well documented. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and identify the key determinants of STH infections among ART-treated children in Western (Mulobezi and Sesheke districts) Zambia.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We conducted a cross-sectional study with a retrospective clinical review in the Mulobezi and Sesheke districts. From a total population of 487 eligible children, a sample of 103 ART-initiated children aged 5\u201315 years was enrolled. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling: the sample was first proportionally allocated to six health facilities (strata), and then individual children were randomly selected from clinic lists within each facility. Data was collected using questionnaires, medical records, and laboratory analysis of blood and stool samples (using the Kato-Katz technique). Bivariate analyses used Chi-square\/Fisher\u2019s exact and Mann-Whitney U tests. Viral load was log\u2081\u2080-transformed for analysis. Variables significant at *p*\u2009&lt;\u20090.1, along with key clinical factors, were entered into a multivariable logistic regression model built via backward stepwise elimination to identify independent predictors. Model fit was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The prevalence of any STH infection was 11.7% (12\/103), with\n                      <jats:italic>Ascaris lumbricoides<\/jats:italic>\n                      (6.8%) being the most common species. In the final adjusted model, independent predictors of STH infection were a lower CD4\u2009+\u2009count (aOR=3.25 per 100 cells\/mm\u00b3 decrease; 95% CI: 1.82\u20135.80), a higher log\u2081\u2080 viral load (aOR=2.40 per unit increase; 95% CI: 1.45\u20133.96), and suboptimal ART adherence, with occasional misses conferring the highest risk (aOR=15.82; 95% CI: 2.98\u201384.02) compared to very consistent adherence. Lack of clean water access was not retained in the final model.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A notable prevalence of STH infection persists among ART-treated children in this setting, driven primarily by immunological and treatment-adherence factors. These findings support integrating routine STH screening and targeted deworming into paediatric HIV care programs, alongside interventions to optimize ART adherence and immunological recovery.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0356060","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T17:36:10Z","timestamp":1786642570000},"page":"e0356060","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Prevalence and determinants of soil transmitted helminth infections among children on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) in Mulobezi and Sesheke Districts, Zambia: A cross \u2013 sectional study"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-7454-4173","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Benjamin","family":"Mbonshi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Evans Mwape","family":"Kabemba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Collins","family":"Bowa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0356060.ref001","volume-title":"Soil-transmitted helminth infections. 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