BACKGROUND: The crater lakes of Barombi Mbo and Barombi Kotto are well-known transmission foci of @entity2040 and soil-transmitted helminthiasis having had several important control initiatives previously. To collect contemporary epidemiological information, a cross-sectional survey was undertaken inclusive of: signs and @entity66 , individual treatment histories, local water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)-related factors and malacological surveillance, with molecular characterisation of specimens. METHODS: At each @entity17360 , a community cross-sectional survey was undertaken using a combination of stool and urine parasitological sampling, and interview with pro-forma questionnaires. A total of 338 @entity1 and adults participated. Material from snail and parasite species were characterised by DNA methods. RESULTS: Egg-patent prevalence of @entity14454 was 8.7% at Barombi Mbo (all light-intensity infections) and 40.1% at Barombi Kotto (21.2% heavy-intensity infections). @entity1213 was absent. At Barombi Kotto, significantly more @entity1 reported signs and symptoms associated with female genital @entity2040 . While there had been extensive recent improvement in WASH-related infrastructure at Barombi Mbo, water contact risk scores were higher among @entity2040 -infected @entity1 (P   <   0.001) and at Barombi Kotto in general (P   <   0.001). Across both lakes, mean prevalence of STH was very low (6.3%) evidencing an impressive decrease of 79.0% over the last decade; neither @entity35604 nor @entity9124 were found. A total of 29 freshwater sampling sites were inspected for snails, 13 in Barombi Mbo and 16 in Barombi Kotto; water chemistry differed significantly (P   <   0.0001) between lakes for both mean pH (7.9 v. 9.6) and mean conductivity (64.3  S v. 202.1  S) respectively. Only two Bulinus camerunensis found on the central island of Barombi Kotto were observed to shed schistosome cercariae, but schistosome DNA was later detected in Bulinus sampled from both lakes as well as in Indoplanorbis exustus, an invasive species from Asia. CONCLUSIONS: STH is currently at very low levels while @entity14454 is of greatest concern at Barombi Kotto. This assessment highlights a unique opportunity for further study of the epidemiological dynamics at these crater lakes, to evaluate future intensified interventions both in terms of gaining and sustaining control at Barombi Kotto or in moving towards local interruption of transmission of both diseases at Barombi Mbo.

XXXX and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) in Cameroon: An epidemiological update at Barombi Mbo and Barombi Kotto crater lakes assessing prospects for intensified control interventions.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['participants', 'women', 'children'] @entity66 :: ('MESH:D004194', 'Disease') :: ['symptoms of disease'] @entity17360 :: ('83971', 'Species') :: ['lake'] @entity14454 :: ('MESH:D012553', 'Disease') :: ['urogenital schistosomiasis'] @entity9124 :: ('6252', 'Species') :: ['Ascaris lumbricoides'] @entity1213 :: ('MESH:D012555', 'Disease') :: ['Intestinal schistosomiasis'] @entity2040 :: ('MESH:D012552', 'Disease') :: ['schistosomiasis'] @entity35604 :: ('6248', 'Species') :: ['Strongyloides stercoralis']
@entity14454 :: (MESH:D012553,Disease) :: ['Urogenital schistosomiasis']
