RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Parasitic diseases pose challenges in impoverished urban settlements with limited access to clean water, proper hygiene, and sanitation (WASH). This study assesses WASH practices and risk perceptions of parasitic infections among households in the Bataan Shipyard and Engineering Corporation (BASECO) Compound in Manila, an urban poor community in the Philippines. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was employed to collect data through a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed to assess the sociodemographic profile, household WASH practices, and respondents' risk perception of parasitic infections. Linear regression analysis was utilized to examine the relationship between these variables. RESULTS: A survey was conducted with 363 households, of which 237 (65.3%) used distilled and purified water from the water refilling stations in the community for drinking. Meanwhile, 120 households (33.10%) consumed tap water. Boiling water was a commonly used method (n=146; 56.60%) for treating drinking water. Most households had flush toilets with septic tanks (n=244; 67.20%), water sources for handwashing (n=307; 84.57%) and soap for handwashing (n=356; 98.10%). On average, they washed their hands 6-10 times daily (n=159; 43.80%). Most households were aware that drinking untreated water (n=318; 87.6%), improper food washing (n=309; 85.1%), using contaminated water sources (n=301; 82.9%), and consuming raw or undercooked meat (n=298; 82.1%) could lead to parasitic infections. 316 respondents (87.1%) identified diarrhea as the most common symptom of parasitic infection. Relationships were found between access to drinking water and the number of household members (B=0.191; p-value=0.001), personal hygiene and the respondents' knowledge of parasitic infections (B=0.112; p-value=0.047), and the overall WASH score with household income (B=0.105; p-value=0.045). CONCLUSIONS: The WASH conditions in BASECO, Manila need improvement. Factors associated with their WASH practices include risk perception of parasitic diseases, socioeconomic disparity, and household overcrowding. These factors play a crucial role in identifying areas for improvement and promoting health policies for urban poor communities in the Philippines.
RESUMEN
This meta-analysis was performed to assess the efficacy of the diagnostic tests for scabies infections that are currently in wide use. Scabies is most commonly diagnosed through clinical presentations; however, due to the wide array of symptoms, diagnosis is difficult. The most commonly used diagnostic test is skin scraping. However, this test relies on correctly selecting the site of mite infection for sampling. Due to the mobile nature of a live parasitic infection, the mite can often be missed based on its current location within the skin. The goal of this paper is to determine if a gold standard confirmatory test exists for the diagnosis of scabies by comparing Skin Scraping, Adhesive Tape, Dermoscopy, and PCR tests. Medline, PubMed, and Neglected Tropical Diseases databases were utilized in a literature review. Eligible papers were papers published in or after the year 2000, published in the English language, and mainly focused on the diagnosis of scabies. At the time of this meta-analysis, scabies is mostly diagnosed through a correlation of clinical symptoms in conjunction with diagnostic tests such as dermoscopy (sensitivity: 43.47%, specificity: 84.41%), adhesive tape tests (sensitivity: 69.56%, specificity: 100%) and PCR antigen detection (37.9% sensitivity, specificity: 100%). Due to a scarcity of data in the literature, the diagnostic efficacy of other diagnostic tests is difficult to assess. Overall, the efficacies of the tests analyzed vary depending on how similar scabies is to other skin disorders, how challenging it is to get a usable sample and the price and accessibility of essential tools. There is a need for standardized national diagnostic criteria to increase the diagnostic sensitivity of scabies infection.