Open defaecation and hygiene practices in relation to Soil-Transmitted Helminths in the advent of Mass Drug Administration in Ona-Ara, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STHs) infections are one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in tropical Africa and have been targeted for possible elimination in the year 2030. This study was conducted between August 2022 and July 2023 in Ona-Ara Local Government Area (LGA), Ibadan, Nigeria, to investigate the effects of Open Defaecation (OD), Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) practices on STHs status in the advent of mass drug administration in the communities. 450 structured questionnaires covering demographics (age, sex), and WASH practices were given to consenting participants. 450 faecal samples from consenting participants and 1350 soil samples from the environment were collected from five different communities: Akanran, Olorunda, Idi-Ose, Amuloko, and Ore-Meji in the LGA. Parasites were extracted from the contaminated soil using floatation and modified Baermann methods while sedimentation method was used to detect parasites in the faecal samples and quantified by Kato-Katz techniques. Data were analyzed using descriptive, regression and ANOVA at α _0.05. 59.8 % of the participants did not have access to potable water while 40.2 % claimed drinking water directly from the tap. Furthermore, 42.2 % had water closet, 41.1 % pit latrine, and 16.7 % practised OD of which 60.8 % are infected with STH. In terms of hygiene practices, 6.7 % reported that they do not wash with soap and water after defaecation, while 43.8 % claimed that they use tissue paper or water occasionally. The parasites prevalence in faecal samples collected from participants was 38 % in Ona Ara and the overall intensity was 265 per gram of faeces. Ascaris had the highest intensity of STH (300epg), followed by hookworm (210epg), Trichuris (50epg), and the least Strongyloides (32epg). The variation in the distribution of parasites was significant at χ² = 75.21, p ≤ 0.05. 52.1 % of the sampled soil had at least one STH parasites and Strongyloides larvae was found to have highest prevalence in soil samples collected in the following locations: Akanran (35.8 %), Olorunda (37.8 %), Amuloko (39.4 %), and Idi-Ose (59.3 %) whereas, hookworm larvae had highest prevalence of 60.7 % in Ore-Meji. There is continuous transmission of STH among the populations living in Ona-Ara and the soil environment owing to OD and the hygiene practices. One Health Approach (animal, environment, and man) studies should be further carried out in the communities.