Fresh stool samples were collected from study participants two weeks before, and three weeks after albendazole MDA for STH screening and efficacy follow-up, respectively. Two Kato–-Katz smears were prepared from the collected stool sample using a template of 41.7 mg and processed as recommended by WHO [30 ]. Duplicate slides were prepared from each stool sample and read independently by the two laboratory technicians. Lab technicians from the National Reference Laboratory, Hospitals, and Health Centers analyzed samples, and senior lab technicians conducted quality control and analyzed up to 10% of all stool samples examined per day. Before data collection, all lab technicians were trained and supervised by research coordinators, and children were educated on how to provide a stool sample of their own, avoiding contamination with urine.
The intensity of infection for each STH parasite was categorized as “light”, “moderate” or “heavy” based on fecal egg counts per gram of stool (epg) using the cut-off threshold set by the WHO [30 ] as T. trichiura; light (1–999 epg), moderate (1000–9999 epg), heavy (≥10,000 epg), A. lumbricoides; light (1–4999 epg), moderate (5000–49,999 epg), heavy (≥50,000 epg) and hookworm; light (1–1999 epg), moderate (2000–3999 epg), heavy (≥4000 epg).
The intensity of infection for each STH parasite was categorized as “light”, “moderate” or “heavy” based on fecal egg counts per gram of stool (epg) using the cut-off threshold set by the WHO [30 ] as T. trichiura; light (1–999 epg), moderate (1000–9999 epg), heavy (≥10,000 epg), A. lumbricoides; light (1–4999 epg), moderate (5000–49,999 epg), heavy (≥50,000 epg) and hookworm; light (1–1999 epg), moderate (2000–3999 epg), heavy (≥4000 epg).
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