Helminth Infections Among Long-Term-Residents and Settled Immigrants in Qatar in the Decade from 2005 to 2014: Temporal Trends and Varying Prevalence Among Subjects from Different Regional Origins

Abstract

We analysed the prevalence of helminth infection in a dataset of 31,008 records of subjects referred for stool examination at the Hamad Medical Corporation over the course of a decade (2005 to 2014, inclusive). Overall prevalence of combined helminthe infections was low (1.78%) but there were significant temporal trends, age and sex effects and those arising from region of origin of the subjects. The most common helminth was hookworm (overall prevalence 1.2%) which accounted for 70.3% of cases, and therefore patterns for combined helminth infections were largely driven by hookworms. In both cases, and also in Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides prevalence peaked in 2008, since when prevalence has been steadily falling. Helminth infections were largely concentrated among subjects from W. Asian countries, and there was a highly biased prevalence in favour of male subjects in all cases. Prevalence of all three nematodes peaked in age class 7 (mean age 25.5 years, range = 20-29) and there were significant interactions between region of origin and sex of subjects and prevalence of combined helinths, and hookworms. These results offer optimism that prevalence will continue to decline in the years ahead, especially if control is targeted at those most at risk of carrying infections.