Water treatment reduces parasitic parasitic infections affecting 800 million people – Eurasia Review

Roundworm infections can be significantly reduced simply by improving
the treatment and quality of drinking water in high-risk areas,
according to an international team of researchers led by Tufts
University.

The discovery comes from a two-year study, published in PloS Medicine, which examined the effects of water quality, sanitation, hand washing and nutritional interventions on intestinal worm and Giardia infection rates in rural Kenya.

The water treatment alone was enough to lead to an 18% reduction in the infection rate in roundworm infections (Ascaris); the reduction was 22% when water treatment was badociated with improved sanitation and hand washing with soap. None of the interventions reduced the prevalence of Giardia infections in the young children studied.

Gut and protozoan infections affect more than one billion people
children around the world and are badociated with stunting and disability
cognitive development. These parasites often reside in the soil and
contaminated drinking water or surfaces contaminated with faeces and
common infections in children in low-resource countries. high
reinfection rates have prevented the mbadive administration of drugs to the school
programs to control the transmission of these parasites
infections. The authors of the study have hypothesized that the improvement of water quality,
sanitation, hygiene and / or nutrition could interrupt
parasite transmission, but few trials evaluating these interventions
measured actual infections as a result. Contrary to
aggressive medical treatment programs, water treatment, sanitation,
and hand washing approaches represent a sustainable approach to the disease
control.

"Of all the interventions we tested, we were extremely surprised
Water treatment seemed to be the most effective way to reduce
infections with roundworms. The water treatment is a little unexplored
strategy to fight intestinal worms, "said Amy Pickering, badistant
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Tufts University,
and first author of the study. "At least 800 million people around the world
are infected with the roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), so even a parent
18% reduction in water treatment interventions could have a
major beneficial impact. Our study also suggests that water treatment
could complement large-scale deworming drug delivery programs
the global effort to eliminate roundworm infections. "

With reinfection rates reaching 94% after deworming treatment
for infection with roundworms, a combined approach of the mbad drug
administrative and environmental controls (water, sanitation, hygiene)
could be essential to take over these endemic infections,
the researchers say.

Please make a donation today.

Did you enjoy this article? So, consider making a donation today to ensure that Eurasia Review can continue to provide similar content.