Co-infections with Plasmodium, Ascaris and Giardia among Rwandan schoolchildren.

Objectives: Co-infections with Plasmodium, Ascaris and Giardia are common in sub-Saharan Africa but epidemiological and clinical data are rare. We examined factors associated with co-infections and their clinical manifestation among Rwandan schoolchildren.

Methods: Schoolchildren aged 6-10 years attending 12 schools in Huye district, Rwanda, were recruited preceding routine deworming.

Comment on "The optimal timing of post-treatment sampling for the assessment of anthelminthic drug efficacy against Ascaris infections in humans".

A recent publication by Levecke et al. (Int. J.

Reduced efficacy of albendazole against Ascaris lumbricoides in Rwandan schoolchildren.

Control of human soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) relies on preventive chemotherapy of schoolchildren applying the benzimidazoles (BZ) albendazole or mebendazole. Anthelmintic resistance (AR) is a common problem in nematodes of veterinary importance but for human STHs, information on drug efficacy is limited and routine monitoring is rarely implemented. Herein, the efficacy of single dose albendazole (400 mg) was evaluated in 12 schools in the Huye district of Rwanda where Ascaris is the predominant STH.

Asymptomatic only at first sight: malaria infection among schoolchildren in highland Rwanda.

Background: Plasmodium infection and malaria in school children are increasingly recognized as a relevant public health problem, but data on actual prevalence and health consequences are insufficient. The present study from highland southern Rwanda aimed at estimating infection prevalence among children attending school, at identifying associated factors and at assessing the clinical consequences of these infections.

Methods: In a survey including 12 schools in the Huye district of Rwanda, 1089 children aged 6-10 years were clinically and anthropometrically examined, malaria parasites were diagnosed by microscopy and PCR, haemoglobin concentrations were measured, and socio-economic and behavioural parameters as well as medical histories were obtained.