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The co-distribution of Plasmodium falciparum and hookworm among African schoolchildren

Abstract:
Background: Surprisingly little is known about the geographical overlap between malaria and other tropical diseases, including helminth infections. This is despite the potential public health importance of co-infection and synergistic opportunities for control. Methods: Statistical models are presented that predict the large-scale distribution of hookworm in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), based on the relationship between prevalence of infection among schoolchildren and remotely for Plasmodium falciparum malaria, adjusted for urbanization, the spatial congruence of populations at coincident risk of infection is determined. Results: The model of hookworm indicates that the infection is widespread throughout Africa and that, of the 179.3 million school-aged children who live on the continent, 50.0 (95% CI: 48.9-51-1) million (27% of total population) are infected with hookworm and 45.1 (95% CI: 43.9-46) million are estimated to be at risk of coincident infection. Conclusion: Malaria and hookworm infection are widespread throughout SSA and over a quarter of school-aged children in sub-Saharan Africa appear to be at risk of coincident infection and thus at enhanced risk of clinical disease. The results suggest that the control of parasitic helminths and of malaria in school children could be viewed as essential co-contributors to promoting the health of schoolchildren.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1186/1475-2875-5-99

Authors

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Institution:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Department:
Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases
Role:
Author
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Institution:
"London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine", "Imperial College, London", "University of Queensland, Australia"
Department:
Division of Epidemiology and Social Medicine,School of Population Health
Role:
Author
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Institution:
"The George Washington University, Washington DC, USA"
Department:
Department of Microbiology and Tropical Medicine
Role:
Author
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Institution:
"University of Oxford", "KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Research Laboratories, Nairobi, Kenya"
Research group:
Spatial ecology and epidemiology
Department:
Malaria Public Health and Epidemiology Group,Centre for Geographic Medicine
Role:
Author
More by this author
Institution:
"University of Oxford", "KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Research Laboratories, Nairobi, Kenya"
Research group:
Spatial ecology and epidemiology
Department:
Malaria Public Health and Epidemiology Group,Centre for Geographic Medicine
Role:
Author


Publisher:
BioMed Central
Journal:
Malaria journal More from this journal
Volume:
5
Article number:
99
Publication date:
2006-11-01
Edition:
Publisher's version
DOI:
ISSN:
1475-2875


Language:
English
Keywords:
Subjects:
UUID:
uuid:000629ba-705f-4a78-8172-6990f2bb9950
Local pid:
ora:2406
Deposit date:
2008-10-29
ARK identifier:

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