{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T21:06:24Z","timestamp":1777496784670,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene","issue":"2","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT.<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is an increasingly recognized diagnostic tool for soil-transmitted helminths (STHs), overcoming limitations of microscopy. We compared qPCR with Kato\u2013Katz (KK) and sodium nitrate flotation (SNF; specific gravities 1.2 and 1.3) in determining STH prevalence and infection intensity using samples from a community survey of 351 people in Dak Lak province, Vietnam. Established correlation formulas were used to convert qPCR cycle threshold values to eggs per gram to compare infection intensity. Sensitivity, specificity, and agreement between methods were also investigated. Hookworm was the predominant STH detected, with prevalences of 70.3% (95% CI: 63.6\u201376.9) by qPCR, 59.1% (95% CI: 46.3\u201372.4) by 1.2SNF, 56.5% (95% CI: 43.2\u201369.4) by 1.3SNF, and 47.8% (95% CI: 34.6\u201357.6) by KK. Detection of <jats:italic>Ascaris lumbricoides<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Trichuris trichiura<\/jats:italic> was low across methods. Prevalences of zoonotic hookworm <jats:italic>Ancylostoma ceylanicum<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Strongyloides<\/jats:italic> species by qPCR were 3.0% (95% CI: 1.3\u20136.4) and 17.3% (95% CI: 8.1\u201322.3), respectively. qPCR detected higher prevalence of moderate- (8.3% versus &lt;2%) and heavy-intensity (9.4% versus 0%) infections than microscopy. The sensitivities of microscopy methods were 81.0% (1.2SNF), 75.8% (1.3SNF), and 67.4% (KK). Diagnostic agreement for hookworm was moderate between qPCR and KK and between qPCR and 1.3SNF, and it was good between qPCR and 1.2SNF. The superior performance of qPCR in detecting hookworm coupled with the capacity to differentiate hookworm species and detect <jats:italic>Strongyloides<\/jats:italic> spp. supports the role of qPCR to inform control strategies, particularly for zoonotic reservoirs and use of macrocyclic lactones.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.24-0670","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,27]],"date-time":"2025-05-27T13:25:57Z","timestamp":1748352357000},"page":"303-310","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Harnessing Molecular Techniques to Inform Species-Specific Hookworm Prevalence and Infection Intensity and Detect Strongyloides in Dak Lak Province, Vietnam"],"prefix":"10.4269","volume":"113","author":[{"given":"Wenyu","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Adam W.","family":"Bartlett","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Katrina","family":"Blazek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sze Fui","family":"Hii","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Clare E. F.","family":"Dyer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vito","family":"Colella","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rebecca J.","family":"Traub","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dinh","family":"Ng-Nguyen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Tay Nguyen University, Dak Lak, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Susana Vaz","family":"Nery","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Kirby Institute, 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