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Epidemiology and immunology of Necator americanus infection in a community in Papua New Guinea: humoral responses to excretory-secretory and cuticular collagen antigens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

D. I. Pritchard
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD
R. J. Quinnell
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD
A. F. G. Slater
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD
P. G. McKean
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD
D. D. S. Dale
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD
A. Raiko
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD
A. E. Keymer
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD

Summary

Baseline data from an immuno-epidemiological study of hookworm infection in a rural village in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea are reported. Necator americanus was found to be the commonest helminth infection, with a prevalence of near 100% and intensity of 40 worms per host in adults. Enterobius vermicularis, Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura were also present, at prevalences of 53, 10 and 3% respectively; Ancylostoma duodenale was absent. The frequency distribution of N. americanus was highly over-dispersed, and was well described by a negative binomial distribution with aggregation parameter, k, of 0·370. Intensity of infection was significantly related to host age, but did not differ between the sexes. Haemoglobin levels and haematocrit values were indicative of anaemia in the community, but were unrelated to hookworm infection. Levels of antibodies (IgG, IgA and 1gM combined) against adult Necator cuticular collagen and excretory-secretory (ES) products were determined.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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