03677nas a2200505   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653002500054653002800079653016000107653004200267653006800309653002300377653003800400653009300438653002000531653005000551653003400601653003700635653003400672653004100706653005000747653002100797653003600818653001900854653003200873653002700905653005600932653002500988653003101013653002701044653003501071653004001106653003501146653002901181100001601210700001201226700001201238700001301250700001301263245010301276300001101379520176701390022001403157       2020                            d  c11/202010aBMI, body mass index10aCI, confidence interval10aCross-sectional survey, intestinal protozoa, malaria, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths, Tanzania Abbreviations AIC, Akaike information criterion10aDALYs, disability-adjusted life years10aEKNZ, Ethics Committee of North-Western and Central Switzerland10aEPG, eggs per gram10aFEC, formalin ether concentration10aHIV/AIDS, human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome10aHb, haemoglobin10aIEC, information, education and communication10aIRS, indoor residual spraying10aITN, insecticide-treated bed net10aMDA, mass drug administration10aMUAC, Middle-upper arm circumference10aNIMR, National Institute for Medical Research10aNR, not reported10aNTD, neglected tropical disease10aOR, odds ratio10aP.f., Plasmodium falciparum10aP.v., Plasmodium vivax10aPOC-CCA, point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen10aPan, Plasmodium spp.10aRDT, rapid diagnostic test10aSD, standard deviation10aSTH, Soil-transmitted helminth10aWASH, water, sanitation and hygiene10aWHO, World Health Organization10aaOR, adjusted odds ratio1 aPalmeirim M1 aMrimi E1 aMinja E1 aSamson A1 aKeiser J00aA cross-sectional survey on parasitic infections in schoolchildren in a rural Tanzanian community.  a1057373 a<p>Infectious diseases remain the leading cause of death in children in low- and middle-income countries. Infection with helminths and intestinal protozoa cause considerable morbidity. The aim of this study was to assess the health status of schoolchildren in nine villages of the Kilombero district. We conducted a cross-sectional survey and subjected 427 children aged 6-12 years to standardized diagnostic tests. We found that 15% of children were infected with Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar/Entamoeba moshkovskii, 12% with Schistosoma mansoni, and 5% with Plasmodium falciparum. The most common soil-transmitted helminth species was Trichuris trichiura (7%). Strongyloides stercoralis, Schistosoma haematobium, Giardia intestinalis and lymphatic filariasis were rare. Having a latrine inside the house was associated with a lower odds of parasite infections (odds ratio (OR) 0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.27-0.96, p = 0.04). Children from households with goats were at higher odds of E. histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii infection (OR 3.03, 95%CI 1.29-7.10, p = 0.01).When compared to a cross-sectional survey conducted in the same district in the 1980s, there seems to have been a substantial reduction in the prevalence and intensity of parasitic infections, except for T. trichiura, which showed a similar prevalence. Our data suggest that the general development, coupled with infectious disease control programmes improved children's health markedly. However, continued efforts to control parasitic diseases, including new approaches of drug combinations, stronger intersectoral collaboration, rigorous surveillance and public health responses tailored to the local settings are needed to move from control to elimination.</p>  a1873-6254