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<p>This study investigates the presence of <italic>Trichuris trichiura</italic> eggs in soil samples collected from urban areas in Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 3600 soil samples were collected over two years from Lahore’s urban regions. The detection of helminth eggs in these samples was performed using sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) as a diagnostic technique. The study reveals an overall prevalence rate of <italic>T. trichiura</italic> at 0.97 % (35 out of 3600) in the contaminated soil samples from Lahore’s slum areas. When analyzing the data by geographical areas, the study found the highest prevalence of <italic>T. trichiura</italic> in Allama Iqbal Town (1.83 %, 11 out of 600), followed by Samanabad (1.16 %, 7 out of 600), Wapda Town (1.00 %, 6 out of 600), Gulberg (1.00 %, 6 out of 600), and Cantt (0.50 %, 3 out of 600). Conversely, Valencia Town had the lowest prevalence rate at 0.33 % (2 out of 600). However, these variations in prevalence rates were not statistically significant (p = 0.117). Prevalence rates of <italic>T. trichiura</italic>’s eggs varied significantly across different sampling seasons (p>0.001). In autumn, a total of 900 soil samples were collected, with 19 samples (2.11 %) testing positive for <italic>T. trichiura</italic>. This rate was notably higher compared to the prevalence rates observed in winter, spring, and summer, which were 0.66 %, 0.22 %, and 0.88 %, respectively. Regarding the sampling months, the study observed a significantly higher prevalence during September (3.33 %, 10 out of 300), followed by October (2.33 %, 7 out of 300), and August (1.33 %, 4 out of 300). Prevalence rates gradually decreased in other months, ranging from 1 % to 0.33 % (3 to 1 out of 300), with no parasite detection in March (0 %, 0 out of 300) (p &lt; 0.001). This research underscores soil contamination due to fecal waste and highlights public unawareness of parasite biology, driven by open defecation practices.</p>
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This study investigates the presence of Trichuris trichiura eggs in soil samples collected from urban areas in Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 3600 soil samples were collected over two years from Lahore’s urban regions. The detection of helminth eggs in these samples was performed using sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) as a diagnostic technique. The study reveals an overall prevalence rate of T. trichiura at 0.97 % (35 out of 3600) in the contaminated soil samples from Lahore’s slum areas. When analyzing the data by geographical areas, the study found the highest prevalence of T. trichiura in Allama Iqbal Town (1.83 %, 11 out of 600), followed by Samanabad (1.16 %, 7 out of 600), Wapda Town (1.00 %, 6 out of 600), Gulberg (1.00 %, 6 out of 600), and Cantt (0.50 %, 3 out of 600). Conversely, Valencia Town had the lowest prevalence rate at 0.33 % (2 out of 600). However, these variations in prevalence rates were not statistically significant (p = 0.117). Prevalence rates of T. trichiura’s eggs varied significantly across different sampling seasons (p>0.001). In autumn, a total of 900 soil samples were collected, with 19 samples (2.11 %) testing positive for T. trichiura. This rate was notably higher compared to the prevalence rates observed in winter, spring, and summer, which were 0.66 %, 0.22 %, and 0.88 %, respectively. Regarding the sampling months, the study observed a significantly higher prevalence during September (3.33 %, 10 out of 300), followed by October (2.33 %, 7 out of 300), and August (1.33 %, 4 out of 300). Prevalence rates gradually decreased in other months, ranging from 1 % to 0.33 % (3 to 1 out of 300), with no parasite detection in March (0 %, 0 out of 300) (p < 0.001). This research underscores soil contamination due to fecal waste and highlights public unawareness of parasite biology, driven by open defecation practices.

Temporal and spatial patterns of <italic>Trichuris trichiura</italic> eggs: a potential threat to human health in Pakistan

Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences

Department of Basic Sciences, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet

Laboratory of Microbiology at the National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet

Helminthologia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Temporal and spatial patterns of  eggs: a potential threat to human health in Pakistan

This study investigates the presence of Trichuris trichiura eggs in soil samples collected from urban areas in Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 3600 soil samples...

Sampling seasons or months¹	Number of soil samples	Infested	Prevalence (%±C.I.²)	P value
Autumn	900	19	2.11±0.009	0.000*
Winter	900	6	0.66±0.005
Springer	900	2	0.22±0.003
Summer	900	8	0.88±0.005

September	300	10	3.33±0.019	0.000*
October	300	7	2.33±0.017
November	300	2	0.67±0.009
December	300	3	1.00±0.011
January	300	2	0.67±0.009
February	300	1	0.33±0.005
March	300	0	0.00±0.000
April	300	1	0.33±0.005
May	300	1	0.33±0.005
June	300	2	0.67±0.009
July	300	2	0.67±0.009
August	300	4	1.33±0.013

Total	3600	35	0.97±0.003

Temporal and spatial patterns of Trichuris trichiura eggs: a potential threat to human health in Pakistan

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Apr 23, 2024

Page range: 11 - 19

Received: Sep 17, 2023

Accepted: Feb 18, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2024-0009

Keywords
Trichuriasis, eggs, contaminated soil, prevalence, spatio-temporal assessment, Pakistan

© 2024 S. A. Ali et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Fig. 1.

Prevalence rates of Trichuris trichiura’s eggs, in overall and according to sampling seasons and months, in soil samples of urban areas of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.

Prevalence rates of Trichuris trichiura’s eggs, in overall and according to sampling urban areas, in soil samples of urban areas of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.

Sampling urban areas	Number of soil samples	Infested	Prevalence (%±C.I.¹)	P value
Allama Iqbal Town	600	11	1.83±0.009	0.117
Wapda Town	600	6	1.00±0.007
Valenchia Town	600	2	0.33±0.003
Cantt	600	3	0.50±0.005
Gulberg	600	6	1.00±0.007
Samanabad	600	7	1.16±0.007

Total	3600	35	0.97±0.003

Temporal and spatial patterns of Trichuris trichiura eggs: a potential threat to human health in Pakistan

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Apr 23, 2024

Page range: 11 - 19

Received: Sep 17, 2023

Accepted: Feb 18, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2024-0009

KeywordsTrichuriasis, eggs, contaminated soil, prevalence, spatio-temporal assessment, Pakistan

© 2024 S. A. Ali et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Fig. 1.

Prevalence rates of Trichuris trichiura’s eggs, in overall and according to sampling seasons and months, in soil samples of urban areas of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.

Prevalence rates of Trichuris trichiura’s eggs, in overall and according to sampling urban areas, in soil samples of urban areas of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.

Keywords
Trichuriasis, eggs, contaminated soil, prevalence, spatio-temporal assessment, Pakistan