Strongyloidiasis as a Focal Household Cluster of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis in Rural Tropical Rainforest Southern Thailand: An Observational Study

Background

In southern Thailand, characterized by high rainfall for 9 months each year (2340 mm annually), hookworm prevalence is consistently higher than that of Strongyloides stercoralis. Such wet climatic conditions may favor hookworm transmission while limiting S. stercoralis. Conversely, living in crowded, cluster settlements may enhance the transmission of S. stercoralis. We aimed to determine whether S. stercoralis exhibits a focal distribution pattern-often related to close contact within households or small communities-and whether this pattern distinctively differs from that of hookworm infection.