TY - JOUR
T1 - Evidence and potential drivers of neglected parasitic helminth and protist infections among a small preliminary sample of children from rural Mississippi
AU - Cepon-Robins, Tara J.
AU - Mallott, Elizabeth K.
AU - Recca, Isabella C.
AU - Gildner, Theresa E.
N1 - Funding Information:
Boettcher Foundation Webb‐Waring Biomedical Research Award; Dartmouth College McKennan Postdoctoral Fellowship; Claire Garber Goodman Fund; University of Colorado Colorado Springs Funding information
Funding Information:
The research was supported by the Boettcher Foundation Webb‐Waring Biomedical Research Award, the Dartmouth College McKennan Postdoctoral Fellowship and Claire Garber Goodman Fund, and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
PY - 2023/7
Y1 - 2023/7
N2 - Introduction: Intestinal infections with helminths (parasitic worms) and protists (single-celled eukaryotes) may be neglected health issues in low-resource communities across the United States. Because they predominantly infect school-aged children and can lead to nutritional deficiencies and developmental delays, these infections can affect lifelong health. More research is needed to understand the prevalence and risk factors of these parasitic infections in the United States. Methods: A total of 24 children (ages 0.5–14 years) from a low-resource, rural Mississippi Delta community provided stool samples for 18s rRNA amplification and sequencing to determine infection presence. Parent/guardian interviews provided age, sex, and household size to test for associations with infection. Results: Infections were found in 38% (n = 9) of the samples. 25% (n = 6) of participants were infected with helminths (platyhelminths [n = 5]; nematodes [n = 2]), while 21% (n = 5) were infected with protists (Blastocystis [n = 4]; Cryptosporidium [n = 1]). There were no associations between infection status and age, sex, or household size. Problematically, analytical methods did not allow for more specific classifications for helminth species. Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest parasitic infections may be overlooked health issues in the rural Mississippi Delta and emphasize the need for more research on potential health outcomes within the United States.
AB - Introduction: Intestinal infections with helminths (parasitic worms) and protists (single-celled eukaryotes) may be neglected health issues in low-resource communities across the United States. Because they predominantly infect school-aged children and can lead to nutritional deficiencies and developmental delays, these infections can affect lifelong health. More research is needed to understand the prevalence and risk factors of these parasitic infections in the United States. Methods: A total of 24 children (ages 0.5–14 years) from a low-resource, rural Mississippi Delta community provided stool samples for 18s rRNA amplification and sequencing to determine infection presence. Parent/guardian interviews provided age, sex, and household size to test for associations with infection. Results: Infections were found in 38% (n = 9) of the samples. 25% (n = 6) of participants were infected with helminths (platyhelminths [n = 5]; nematodes [n = 2]), while 21% (n = 5) were infected with protists (Blastocystis [n = 4]; Cryptosporidium [n = 1]). There were no associations between infection status and age, sex, or household size. Problematically, analytical methods did not allow for more specific classifications for helminth species. Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest parasitic infections may be overlooked health issues in the rural Mississippi Delta and emphasize the need for more research on potential health outcomes within the United States.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85149373072&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ajhb.23889
DO - 10.1002/ajhb.23889
M3 - Article
C2 - 36861998
AN - SCOPUS:85149373072
SN - 1042-0533
VL - 35
JO - American Journal of Human Biology
JF - American Journal of Human Biology
IS - 7
M1 - e23889
ER -