Infections due to soil-transmitted helminths (STHs), i.e. Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, hookworms, and Strongyloides stercoralis, are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas in which approximately 1.5 billion people are infected. A clear understanding of the epidemiology and distribution of diseases is an important aid for control and prevention. The aim of our study was to identify the effects of environmental and climatic factors on distribution patterns of STHs and to develop a risk map for STH infections under current environmental and climate regimes in Thailand. Geographical information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) algorithm software were used to determine the significant factors and to create predictive risk maps for STH infections in Thailand. The disease data from Thailand covered the years from 1969 to 2014, while environmental and climatic data were compiled from the Worldclim database, MODIS satellite imagery, Soilgrids and ISCGM. The models predicted that STHs occur mainly in southern Thailand. Mean annual precipitation was the factor most affecting the current distribution of A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, and S. stercoralis. Land cover class was the main predictor for distribution of S. stercoralis and important for hookworms. Altitude was the dominant factor affecting the distribution of hookworms, and mean temperature of the wettest quarter was significantly associated with A. lumbricoides distribution. A predicted distribution map of STHs to identify environmental risk factors in Thailand is presented. This work provides a model for use in STH monitoring and health planning not only in Thailand but also in other countries with similar disease conditions.

Current data on soil-transmitted helminth infections, anemia and malnutrition that are largely neglected is vital to the control and management of them in a specific setting. This study was, therefore, aimed at determining the status of the three health concerns in one of the high-risk groups, schoolchildren, in South Ethiopia.

Pregnancy places a very high demand on physical, physiological and immunological responses of females,especially when aggravated by parasitic infestation. There is strong evidence that maternal infestations with helminth haveprofound effects on immunity to helminths and other pathogens. This case-control study involved 245 pregnant women aged18-40 years (>30 weeks of gestation) recruited from three secondary level hospitals in Ibadan, Nigeria. Morning stoolsamples collected from pregnant women were examine for intestinal helminths using formol-ether concentration method. Atotal of 38 participants comprising 17 Helminth Positive (HP) and 21 Helminth Negative (HN) pregnant women werepurposely selected for the study. Sera from these women (38) and their babies' cord (38) were analysed for immune factors[interleukins 6 and 8 (IL-6, IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and immunoglobulin E (IgE)] were analyzed usingELISA. Anthropometric indices [weight and height in mothers and babies and Chest Circumference (CC) in babies] weremeasured using standard methods. Data were subjected to descriptive statistics and analysed using Student t-test and Pearsoncorrelation at α0.05. Only Ascaris lumbricoides was found in the 17 (6.9%) infested pregnant women. The mean levels of IL-6 (57.8 ± 32.8 vs 52.8±39.6 pg/mL), IL-8 (24.3±3.5 vs 22.0±7.1 pg/mL) and IgE (333.3±96.6 vs 242.3±96.8 IU/mL) weresimilar in HP when compared with HN. In cord sera, IL-8 level was significantly higher in babies of HP (23.7±3.9 pg/mL)compared with babies of HN (20.1±5.9 pg/mL). The levels of IL-6, TNF-α and nutritional indices in HP had significantpositive correlation with corresponding levels in babies of HP mothers. Only CC was significantly lowered in babies of HPcompared with HN mothers. Other anthropometric indices were not significantly different. Therefore, this present studysuggests that helminth infestation may lead to strong Th2 immune responses as is reflected by the cytokine levels of mothersand babies as well as anthropometric measurements of babies of infested mothers. The outcomes of this study provide basisto deworm pregnant women during pregnancy.

Objective This study aimed to detect gastrointestinal helminth infection in migrant workers in Thailand. Methods A cross-sectional survey study was conducted in 403 migrant workers in the factories of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeastern Thailand during October 2016 to June 2017. Gastrointestinal helminth infections were detected by the formalin ether acetate concentration technique and microscopy. The data were analyzed using the χ2-test and logistic regression. Results The rate of gastrointestinal helminth infection was 24.07%. The most common species involved in infection was O pisthorchis viverrini (11.91%), followed by hookworm (5.46%), Trichuris trichiura (5.21%), Strongyloides stercoralis (0.5%), Ascaris lumbricoides (0.5%), and Taenia spp. (0.5%). The majority of infections were found in men aged ≥40 years, married participants, uneducated participants, laborers, those who worked for 1 year, and those who had an income of 9000 to 12,000 THB. Conclusions Gastrointestinal helminth infection is still found in migrant workers. Therefore, active surveillance is required in this large group for investigating and eradicating this type of infection.

Ascariasis is a common worm infestation in developing and under-developed countries. It is caused by the ingestion of food contaminated with Ascaris eggs from faeces and is more common in places with poor sanitation. Almost 25% of the world population is infested by Ascaris lumbricoides. Although ascariasis is a chronic disease, it can present as acute abdomen rarely. The wandering nature of Ascaris in and out of the bowel causes various abdominal complications such as intestinal obstruction, perforation, biliary ascariasis, pancreatic ascariasis, liver abscess, appendicitis, and Meckel's diverticulitis. Intestinal obstruction is the most common complication seen in children and is usually due to mechanical bowel obstruction, volvulus or intussusception. Mechanical obstruction by a bolus of worms is the most common cause of bowel obstruction. Perforation of bowel is rarely reported and it usually occurs in the diseased segment of bowel or following trauma. Perforation of an ileal volvulus secondary to ascariasis has been reported rarely. We present a 4-year-old boy who presented to the emergency room with features of bowel perforation and sepsis, after unsuccessful management for intestinal obstruction in another hospital. On laparotomy, the small bowel was teaming with Ascaris worms. Ileum showed a volvulus with closed loop obstruction and perforation. Peritoneal lavage with resection and ileostomy was done, which was closed at a later date. Anti-helminthic agents were started postoperatively and the boy recovered uneventfully.