Evaluating the efficacy of a centrifugation-flotation method for extracting Ascaris ova from soil

Background Soil transmitted helminths (STH) continue to be associated with high burdens of disease, with an estimated 1.45 billion people infected with STH globally. The promotion and construction of latrines is considered the first barrier to prevent transmission of STH. The absence of a reliable m...

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Published inTransactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol. 110; no. 7; pp. 400 - 407
Main Authors Cranston, Imogen, Teoh, Penelope J., Baker, Sarah M., Sengupta, Mita E., Ensink, Jeroen H. J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England Oxford University Press 01.07.2016
Subjects
Animals
Ascaris - growth & development
Centrifugation - methods
Helminthiasis - transmission
Helminths
Humans
Ovum
Rural Population
Sanitation - methods
Soil
Toilet Facilities
Soil
Centrifugation-flotation
Sanitation
STH
Hygiene
Ascaris suum
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Summary:Background Soil transmitted helminths (STH) continue to be associated with high burdens of disease, with an estimated 1.45 billion people infected with STH globally. The promotion and construction of latrines is considered the first barrier to prevent transmission of STH. The absence of a reliable method to extract STH ova from soil makes it challenging to examine whether the use of latrines may or may not have an effect on environmental contamination with ova. The present study evaluated the recovery rate of a method developed to extract STH ova from soil. Methods The adapted centrifugation and flotation technique was applied to 15 soil types, which were seeded with Ascaris suum ova. Soil type, soil moisture content, soil texture and organic matter content were assessed for each soil sample. Results The average ova recovery rate was 28.2%, with the recovery rate of the method decreasing with increasing soil moisture content, particle size and organic matter content. The association between recovery rate and organic matter content was statistically significant. Conclusions The present study identified a low recovery rate for an adapted centrifugation-flotation method, although this was similar to the recovery rate demonstrated by other methods developed for soil. Soil organic matter content was significantly associated with ova recovery rates.
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ISSN:0035-9203
1878-3503
DOI:10.1093/trstmh/trw044