Disability-adjusted life year for<unk>  disease per 100,000 inhabitants in 2002. It is estimated that between 576 and 740 million individuals are infected with<unk> . Of these infected individuals, about 80 million are severely affected. The major cause of<unk>  is N. americanus which is found in the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia. A. duodenale is found in more scattered focal environments, namely Europe and the Mediterranean. Most infected individuals are concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia/the Pacific Islands with each region having estimates of 198 million and 149 million infected individuals, respectively. Other affected regions include: South Asia (50 million), Latin America and the Caribbean (50 million), South Asia (59 million), Middle East/North Africa (10 million). A majority of these infected individuals live in poverty-stricken areas with poor sanitation.<unk>  is most concentrated among the world's poorest who live on less than $2 a day. While<unk>  may not directly lead to mortality, its effects on morbidity demand immediate attention. When considering disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), neglected tropical diseases, including<unk> , rank among diarrheal diseases, ischemic heart disease, malaria, and tuberculosis as one of the most important health problems of the developing world. It has been estimated that as many as 22.1 million DALYs have been lost due to<unk> . Recently, there has been increasing interest to address the public health concerns associated with<unk> . For example, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently donated US$34 million to fight Neglected Tropical Diseases including<unk> . Former US President Clinton also announced a mega-commitment at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2008 Annual Meeting to de-worm 10 million children. Many of the numbers regarding the prevalence of<unk>  are estimates as there is no international surveillance mechanism currently in place to determine prevalence and global distribution. Some prevalence rates have been measured through survey data in endemic regions around the world. The following are some of the most recent findings on prevalence rates in regions endemic with<unk> . Darjeeling, Hooghly District, West Bengal, India (Pal et al. 2007) * 43% infection rate of predominantly N. americanus although with some A. duodenale infection * Both<unk>  load and degree of anemia in the mild range Xiulongkan Village, Hainan Province, China (Gandhi et al. 2001) * 60% infection rate of predominantly N. americanus * Important trends noted were that prevalence increased with age (plateau of about 41 years) and women had higher prevalence rates than men Hòa Bình, Northwest Vietnam (Verle et al. 2003) * 52% of a total of 526 tested households infected * Could not identify species, but previous studies in North Vietnam reported N. americanus in more than 95% of<unk>  larvae Minas Gerais, Brazil (Fleming et al. 2006) * 63% infection rate of predominantly N. americanus KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Mabaso et al. 2004) * Inland areas had a prevalence rate of 9% of N. americanus * Coastal plain areas had a prevalence rate of 63% of N. americanus Lowndes County, Alabama, United States * 35% infection rate of predominantly N. americanus There have also been technological developments that may facilitate more accurate mapping of<unk>  prevalence. Some researchers have begun to use geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) to examine helminth ecology and epidemiology. Brooker et al. utilized this technology to create helminth distribution maps of sub-Saharan Africa. By relating satellite derived environmental data with prevalence data from school-based surveys, they were able to create detailed prevalence maps. The study focused on a wide range of helminths, but interesting conclusions about<unk>  specifically were found. As compared to other helminths,<unk>  is able to survive in much hotter conditions and was highly prevalent throughout the upper end of the thermal range. Improved molecular diagnostic tools are another technological advancement that could help improve existing prevalence statistics. Recent research has focused on the development of a DNA-based tool that can be used for diagnosis of infection, specific identification of<unk> , and analysis of genetic variability in<unk>  populations. Again this can serve as a major tool for different public health measures against<unk> . Most research regarding diagnostic tools is now focused on the creation of a rapid and cost-effective assay for the specific diagnosis of<unk> . Many are hopeful that its development can be achieved within the next five years.
Hookworm infection
Pinworm infection
Soil-transmitted helminthiasis
Intestinal parasite infection
Strongyloidiasis
Tick infestation
Acariasis
Myiasis