Prevalence of enterobius vermicularis infection among preschool children of Khash city kindergartens, Iran in 2012

Global prevalence of enterobiasis in young children over the past 20 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Parasitic infections are the most common diseases worldwide, and enterobiasis is a common parasitic infection in children. Various studies have reported on the prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis in different regions of the world. However, no study has gathered and analyzed this data systematically. Our systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the overall prevalence of E. vermicularis among children globally. Data were extracted from 4 available databases for studies published from January 2002 to April 2022. The quality of the included studies was scored based on the standard Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology. A random-effect model was chosen to calculate the pooled prevalence and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) according to the degree of heterogeneity in the included studies. Thus, 40 publications (42 data sets) that included 3,279 children with enterobiasis met all criteria and were included in the analysis. The meta-analysis showed that heterogeneity among the included studies was high (Q=4,399.35, I2=99.96%; df=41; p<0.001). The pooled global prevalence of enterobiasis among the studied children was 12.9% (95% CI, 8.2%-17.7%). Our systematic review and meta-analysis estimated that, for the past 20 years, 12.9% of children around the world have been infected with E. vermicularis.

Intestinal parasitic infections in Iranian preschool and school children: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Parasitic infections are a serious public health problem because they cause anemia, growth retardation, aggression, weight loss, and other physical and mental health problems, especially in children. Numerous studies have been performed on intestinal parasitic infections in Iranian preschool and school children. However, no study has gathered and analyzed this information systematically. The aim of this study was to provide summary estimates for the available data on intestinal parasitic infections in Iranian children. We searched 9 English and Persian databases, unpublished data, abstracts of scientific congresses during 1996-2015 using the terms intestinal parasite, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Enterobiusvermicularis, oxyure, school, children, preschool, and Iran. We conducted meta-analysis using STATA, and for all statistical tests, p-value less than 0.05was considered significant. Among the 68,532 publications searched as a result, 103 were eligible for inclusion in the study. The prevalence rate of intestinal parasitic infections was 38% (95% CI- 33%, 43%). Prevalence of protozoa, helminthic intestinal infections, and non-pathogenic parasites was 16.9%, 9.48%, and 18.5%, respectively, which affected 14.27% males and 15.3% females. The rate of infection in preschool and school children was 38.19% and 43.37% respectively. Giardia, Enterobiusvermicularis and Entamoeba coli were the most common among protozoa, helminthic, and non-pathogenic infections (15.1%, 16.5%, and 7.1%, respectively). The data analyses indicated that the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection is decreasing in Iranian preschool and school children. Improvement of sanitation, personal hygiene, increased awareness of people, seasonal variations, and health education can be effective in reducing parasitic infections in different communities.