Evaluation of a deworming campaign by albendazole during 2016 in a rural area of Giza Governorate, Egypt

Background: Egypt carried out the first national deworming campaign in 2016 targeting two million school-age children. The control program was led by the Endemic Diseases Department of the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP), in collaboration with the WHO Office in Egypt. Endemic Diseases Control Administration of Giza Governorate selected Tamwah village for the present work to represent the rural areas of Giza Governorate. The campaign targeted children from the first grade of primary schools aging around six years. In that campaign the children were treated with two doses of albendazole tablets 400 mg (two weeks apart).
Objective: The present work aimed to evaluate the deworming campaign conducted during 2016 in one of the rural areas of Giza Governorate, Egypt and the efficacy of albendazole, the chosen treatment, in reducing parasitic infection rates among the targeted age group. The intention was to upgrade the results of the campaign by examining the same targeted group of children post treatment in comparison with a control group of untreated children from the same area thus widening the range of selected children. Also to collect environmental and epidemiological data for the study area of the examined children for constructing a new coordinative collaborative program suitable for controlling not only the soil transmitted parasites but also other endemic disease as schistosomiasis found in our study area.
Subjects and methods: This cross-sectional study targeted two groups. The first group included all children of grade one in three primary schools who had received two doses of 400 mg albendazole tablets, two weeks apart. The second group (control group) included children of grade two who had not received medication. Stool specimens and anal swabs were collected from both treated and untreated control groups two weeks after receiving the second dose of treatment for the treated group. Personal and environmental data were recorded. The stool samples were examined by direct wet smear and kato-katz technique. The anal swabs were examined by saline swab method recommended for detection of Enterobius vermicularis ova. The data were tabulated and statistically analyzed.
Results: E. vermicularis was the most prevalent parasite among the untreated group followed by E. histolytica/dispar, G. intestinalis and H. nana. Parasite rate of E. vermicularis among untreated females was twice that among males. The difference was statistically significant. Mass treatment with albendazole, resulted in significant differences between the parasite rates among the untreated and treated groups regarding E. vermicularis, E. histolytica/dispar and G. intestinalis. Treatment had no effect on parasite rate of H. nana. Generally the infection rates whether single or mixed, were significantly higher among untreated children than treated ones.
Conclusion: The strategy of selecting albendazole for mass treatment in such areas proved appropriate, and suitably chosen since most of the prevalent parasites encountered were greatly affected. As Tamwah village was assessed previously as a low endemic area of urinary schistosomiasis, coordination between both soil transmitted helminthes (STHs) and schistosomiasis control programs (SCH) should be conducted for organizing and saving efforts, trained manpower and transportation. Mass treatment should not be restricted to children of grade one but should include children of all grades in the primary schools (enrolled and non-enrolled) for further reduction of helminthic transmission.