Clinical trial NCT07009613: Strongyloides Stercoralis Public Health Control in Rwanda
Official title: Integration of Strongyloides Stercoralis Public Health Control Into the Soil-transmitted Helminths Control Programme in Rwanda - The SCAN Study
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Strongyloides Stercoralis Infection
Strongyloides
Lead sponsor: IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria di Negrar
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: University of Rwanda
name: Rwanda Biomedical Centre
First posted: 2025-06-06
Enrollment: 1415
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 5
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: OTHER
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: People living in two districts in Rwanda

Brief summary: The World Health Organization (WHO) recently issued guideline for the public health control of Strongyloides stercoralis in endemic areas. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of implementing the WHO recommendations in Rwanda, specifically to intergrate the activities for the public health control of strongyloidiasis in the ongoing national programme for the control of the other soil-transmitted helminths and schistosomiasis, that has been in place for several years. As additional objective, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of S. stercoralis in two districts of Rwanda (Gisagara and Rubavu). To evaluate the feasibility, we asked lab technicians to evaluate challenges emerged during the implementation of the laboratory procedures with a structured questionnaire. Also, we evaluated the costs needed to perform these tests. We estimated the prevalence of S. stercoralis by calculating the number of positive cases out of all people tested. The lab technicians participated to a training session, where they were taught the S. stercoralis-specific lab techniques, and to a two-day pilot study where they could practice. The tests used were parasitological techniques (agar stool culture, (APC) and Baermann method) and an antibody rapid diagnostic test (RDT). Duration of training, with a specific focus on larvae differentiation, was identified as pivotal for a successful implementation of the parasitological techniques. The use of the RDT was instead considered easy to apply at all evaluation time points. Raw cost (i.e. not including staff salaries and transport costs) of materials and equipment was below 2 euros/test for each assay. In both districts, Strongyloides prevalence was below the threshold recommended by the WHO for the implementation of mass treatment, hence this aspect was not evaluated.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* People living in the selected districts and households
* Obtainment of written informed consent (for children's participation, consent was sought from parents/guardians).

Exclusion Criteria:

* Inability to supply an adequate stool sample

Primary outcomes:
measure: Evaluation of the tests based on technicians' perception (through questionnaire) and costs
timeFrame: The data will be collected at baseline, during the pilot study (two - three days from baseline) and during field work (after two to three weeks from baseline)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Prevalence
timeFrame: through study completion
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Kigali
country: Rwanda
facility: School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda
Study officials:
References: