Repeated Schistosoma japonicum Infection Following Treatment in Two Cohorts: Evidence for Host Susceptibility to Helminthiasis?

Elizabeth J Carlton, Alan Hubbard, Shuo Wang and Robert C Spear

PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2013, vol. 7, issue 3, 1-10

Abstract: Background: In light of multinational efforts to reduce helminthiasis, we evaluated whether there exist high-risk subpopulations for helminth infection. Such individuals are not only at risk of morbidity, but may be important parasite reservoirs and appropriate targets for disease control interventions. Methods/Principal Findings: We followed two longitudinal cohorts in Sichuan, China to determine whether there exist persistent human reservoirs for the water-borne helminth, Schistosoma japonicum, in areas where treatment is ongoing. Participants were tested for S. japonicum infection at enrollment and two follow-up points. All infections were promptly treated with praziquantel. We estimated the ratio of the observed to expected proportion of the population with two consecutive infections at follow-up. The expected proportion was estimated using a prevalence-based model and, as highly exposed individuals may be most likely to be repeatedly infected, a second model that accounted for exposure using a data adaptive, machine learning algorithm. Using the prevalence-based model, there were 1.5 and 5.8 times more individuals with two consecutive infections than expected in cohorts 1 and 2, respectively (p

Date: 2013
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pntd00:0002098

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002098

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