Detection and isolation of soil-transmitted helminth eggs from soil samples collected from selected areas in Pampanga, Philippines

• Main Authors: Rasay, David Martin M., Tolentino, Patricia Mae T.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2018
• Subjects: Diseases > Seasonal variations > Philippines; Tropical medicine > Philippines; Rural health > Seasonal variations > Philippines
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/6685
• Institution: De La Salle University

Diseases caused by soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are considered as neglected tropical diseases that affect over a billion people worldwide mostly from the low and middle income populations. Detection of soil-transmitted helminth eggs in soil is one tool that is used to assess the risk of STH infection. This study isolated, identified, and characterized STH eggs based on morphological characteristics using light microscopy, and then compared the prevalence of STH eggs between the two sites in Pampanga, Philippines. The researchers obtained soil samples (n=200) from two sites for examination using sucrose centrifugation method. The prevalence of STH eggs in the soil samples was recorded at 27% of either Ascaris lumbricoides or Toxocara sp. eggs. Of the 54 positive soil samples, 56% had A. lumbricoides eggs while the other 44% had Toxocara sp. eggs. Of all A. lumbricoides eggs, 30% were identified in their infective stage. There was no significant difference in the prevalence between the two sites. The communities around these sites are at risk of having STH infections due to the contamination of the soil with helminth eggs particularly the infective stage of Ascaris lumbricoides and Toxocara sp.