• Alexander Rosewell, Guillermo Robleto, Guillermo Rodríguez, Philippe Barragne-Bigot, Juan José Amador, and Sylvain Aldighieri.
• Pan American Health Organization, Complejo Nacional de Salud, Concepcion Palacios, Managua, Apartado Postal 1309, Nicaragua. rosewella@wpro.who.int
• Trop Doct. 2010 Jul 1; 40 (3): 141-3.

AbstractThe prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis is close to half the population in Central America, with the marginalized peri-urban poor disproportionately affected. Previous single province helminth surveys conducted in Nicaragua have shown Ascaris lumbricoides to be the predominant species. In 2005, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 880 children in 10 Nicaraguan primary schools located in four provinces. We aimed to establish the prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminth infections and to investigate the factors associated with helminthiasis. Almost half (46%) of the children were infected with soil-transmitted helminths. Tichuris trichiura was the most common infective species (34.7%). The prevalence and intensity of helminthiasis was heterogeneous in the provinces, with children educated in peri-urban schools most affected. Healthy policies are required that favour the peri-urban poor who have inadequate and declining access to water and sanitation.

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