Understanding environmental occurrence of soil-transmitted helminths in rural Kenyan households
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Globally, about 1.5 billion people are infected with at least one species of soil-transmitted helminth, with most infections occurring in South and Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are a type of intestinal worm that require incubation in soil as part of their lifecycle. STH infection can cause malnutrition, anemia, stunting, and in severe cases, blocked intestines and perforated organs. Children are particularly impacted by the symptoms of infection. Although soil is crucial to the lifecycle of STH, few studies have examined the role of soil in STH transmission and control. Major knowledge gaps exist about the extent of STH contamination in the environment, how it drives infection, and how it can be prevented. There are also no standard laboratory methods for detection of STH in environmental samples. This dissertation focuses on the discovery of STH eggs in potential transmission routes—soil, hands, and produce—in rural Kenyan households, creation of improved methods for detection of STH in soil, and evaluation of the impact of a sanitation intervention on STH contamination in household soil. By elucidating the role of soil in STH transmission, we can further inform soil-transmitted helminth elimination efforts.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic; electronic resource; remote |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Publication date | 2017 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Associated with | Steinbaum, Lauren |
|---|---|
| Associated with | Stanford University, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department. |
| Primary advisor | Boehm, Alexandria |
| Primary advisor | Pickering, Amy (Amy Janel) |
| Thesis advisor | Boehm, Alexandria |
| Thesis advisor | Pickering, Amy (Amy Janel) |
| Thesis advisor | Luby, Stephen |
| Advisor | Luby, Stephen |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Lauren Steinbaum. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. |
| Thesis | Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stanford University, 2017. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2017 by Lauren Elizabeth Steinbaum
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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