02383nas a2200253   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653001800054653003400072653002300106653003000129653001400159100001300173700001500186700001500201700001500216700002100231700002200252700001500274245013600289490000800425520168200433022001402115       2024                            d  c03/202410aHelminthiasis10aMigrant paediatric population10aNeglected Diseases10aSTH-non-endemic countries10aScreening1 aEspiau M1 aAjanovic S1 aZarzuela F1 aMaturana C1 aSoler-Palacín P1 aSoriano-Arandes A1 aSulleiro E00aManagement of paediatric soil-transmitted helminthiasis in a non-endemic area: experience in a reference international health unit.0 v1233 a<p>Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections inflict disability worldwide, especially in the poorest communities. Current therapeutic options against STHs show limited efficacy, particularly against Trichuris trichiura. The empirical management of patients coming from high-prevalence areas has been suggested for non-endemic areas. This study aimed to describe the management of STH infections in a non-endemic setting using an individualised approach. We performed a retrospective, descriptive study of all patients up to 16&nbsp;years of age with STH infections attended at an international health unit in a non-endemic area (2014-2018), including all T. trichiura, Necator americanus, Ancylostoma duodenale, and Ascaris lumbricoides infections diagnosed using a formol-ether concentration technique and direct visualisation. Patients were treated according to current international guidelines. Sixty-one stool samples from 48 patients testing positive for STHs were collected, with 96% (46/48) reporting a previous long-term stay in endemic areas. Cure rates with 3-day benzimidazole regimens were 72% for T. trichiura, 40% for hookworms, and 83% for A. lumbricoides. The results were not influenced by any reinfection risk due to the study being performed in a non-endemic area. Patients coming from STH-endemic areas should be evaluated with appropriate diagnostic tools and followed up until cure control results. Cure rates in our cohort were moderate to low, similar to those published in studies in endemic areas. The efficacy of current treatment options is insufficient to recommend a specific empirical approach in high-income countries' healthcare systems.</p>
  a1432-1955