The World Health Organization estimates that 1.5 billion individuals are infected with soil-transmitted helminths (STH), representing 24% of the world’s population. The major STH species cause significant public health problems, especially in tropical and developing countries. This group of parasites is formed by the roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), the whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) and hookworms (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale). STH infection can cause nutritional deficiencies, cognitive impairment, and developmental problems. Pregnant women and children are the groups that suffer most from these problems. In adulthood, STH infection can reduce productivity, impacting the economy of many developing countries. Deworming programs and improved living and sanitation conditions are helping to reduce STH infections, but much work remains to be done to control STH worldwide. Other species of STH are also important in terms of public health, but affect smaller numbers of individuals or particular populations, encompassing the parasites Toxocara canis, T. cati, (causative agents of visceral and ocular larva migrans), Strongyloides stercoralis (causative agent of threadworm infection), Ancylostoma brazilienese (causative agent of cutaneous larva migrans), among others.
The “One Health” is an approach to studying, understanding, preventing and controlling public health issues, focusing on the interfaces between humans, animals and the environment. This is the appropriate strategy to deal with STH infections once the environment plays a key role in the development cycle of STH; and environmental factors (e.g., sanitation, soil characteristics) are important influences on the occurrence of STH infections at the community level. Also, some STH are zoonotic (e.g., T. cani, T. cati), having their distribution in the environment affected by animal populations and their interactions with humans. Finally, human factors (e.g., genetic factors, behavior) also affect susceptibility and resistance to parasitic infections. Addressing STH infections from the One Health perspective contributes to creating a more complete view of the factors associated with these infections.
This Research Topic aims to bring together studies that investigate susceptibility and protective factors associated with STH infections at the interfaces between humans, animals and the environment. Approaches focused on the investigation and control of SHT infections from the One Health perspective are also expected. This Research Topic will contribute to placing greater focus on neglected parasitic diseases, which receive little attention from the scientific community, even though they affect a large portion of the global population. The submission of Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews and Perspective articles, among other Frontiers’ article types, are welcome. Studies addressing the following topics will be considered:
- Actions for surveillance, prevention and control of STH infections from the One Health perspective;
- Identification of human, animal and environmental interfaces that modulate the occurrence of STH infections;
- Environmental conditions (e.g., sanitation, soil characteristics, temperature, humidity) that affect the survival and distribution of eggs and larvae of STH in the soil;
- Effects of climate change and land-use changes on STH infections;
- Human factors (e.g., genetic polymorphisms, HLA alleles, nutritional status, microbiota) that influence susceptibility and resistance to STH infections, as well as disease progression;
- Influence of animal populations and their characteristics on zoonotic STH infections;
- Methods for detection of STH in samples from the environment, animals and humans;
- How the One Health perspective can contribute to deworming programs and STH control initiatives.
The World Health Organization estimates that 1.5 billion individuals are infected with soil-transmitted helminths (STH), representing 24% of the world’s population. The major STH species cause significant public health problems, especially in tropical and developing countries. This group of parasites is formed by the roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), the whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) and hookworms (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale). STH infection can cause nutritional deficiencies, cognitive impairment, and developmental problems. Pregnant women and children are the groups that suffer most from these problems. In adulthood, STH infection can reduce productivity, impacting the economy of many developing countries. Deworming programs and improved living and sanitation conditions are helping to reduce STH infections, but much work remains to be done to control STH worldwide. Other species of STH are also important in terms of public health, but affect smaller numbers of individuals or particular populations, encompassing the parasites Toxocara canis, T. cati, (causative agents of visceral and ocular larva migrans), Strongyloides stercoralis (causative agent of threadworm infection), Ancylostoma brazilienese (causative agent of cutaneous larva migrans), among others.
The “One Health” is an approach to studying, understanding, preventing and controlling public health issues, focusing on the interfaces between humans, animals and the environment. This is the appropriate strategy to deal with STH infections once the environment plays a key role in the development cycle of STH; and environmental factors (e.g., sanitation, soil characteristics) are important influences on the occurrence of STH infections at the community level. Also, some STH are zoonotic (e.g., T. cani, T. cati), having their distribution in the environment affected by animal populations and their interactions with humans. Finally, human factors (e.g., genetic factors, behavior) also affect susceptibility and resistance to parasitic infections. Addressing STH infections from the One Health perspective contributes to creating a more complete view of the factors associated with these infections.
This Research Topic aims to bring together studies that investigate susceptibility and protective factors associated with STH infections at the interfaces between humans, animals and the environment. Approaches focused on the investigation and control of SHT infections from the One Health perspective are also expected. This Research Topic will contribute to placing greater focus on neglected parasitic diseases, which receive little attention from the scientific community, even though they affect a large portion of the global population. The submission of Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews and Perspective articles, among other Frontiers’ article types, are welcome. Studies addressing the following topics will be considered:
- Actions for surveillance, prevention and control of STH infections from the One Health perspective;
- Identification of human, animal and environmental interfaces that modulate the occurrence of STH infections;
- Environmental conditions (e.g., sanitation, soil characteristics, temperature, humidity) that affect the survival and distribution of eggs and larvae of STH in the soil;
- Effects of climate change and land-use changes on STH infections;
- Human factors (e.g., genetic polymorphisms, HLA alleles, nutritional status, microbiota) that influence susceptibility and resistance to STH infections, as well as disease progression;
- Influence of animal populations and their characteristics on zoonotic STH infections;
- Methods for detection of STH in samples from the environment, animals and humans;
- How the One Health perspective can contribute to deworming programs and STH control initiatives.
