UAB Project Info for Stakeholders

A project to determine the prevalence of Soil Transmitted Intestinal Infections (Soil Transmitted
Helminthiasis / STH) in children ages 6 to 18 years in a rural community in Southern Alabama
To be conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), funded by the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) and supported by Community Partners, local and state Health Departments
and local and state government.
Reason for the project:
STH infections used to be common throughout the Southeastern United States, but there have been no large
studies conducted since the late 1950’s. Some recent investigations have raised the concerns that these
infections maybe ongoing. There have been several assessments documenting the problem of inadequate and
failing sewage management throughout rural communities in southern Alabama which potentially could put
residents at risk for these infections. Up-to-date and comprehensive information is urgently needed to
address this concern.
What are STH?
STH or Soil Transmitted Helminths are intestinal parasites that are transmitted through sewage
contamination of the ground / environment and infect humans. Common names for these infections include
hookworm, roundworm and whipworm. These infections largely remain unrecognized due to limited
symptoms, but long-standing and heavy infections can lead to poor health effects including anemia, protein
loss, tiredness and poor concentration. Children are most at risk for both getting the infection and developing
poor health effects from the infection. The best way to diagnose the infection is to examine a sample of stool
(poop) under a microscope. It may take up to 3 separate samples collected on separate days to find the
infection. The infection is easily treated with a safe medicine called Albendazole, which is taken as a single
dose.
Scope of the project:
Doctors and nurses from UAB plan to enroll up to 600 children between the ages of 6 to 18 years who live
in Wilcox or Lowndes Counties. Enrollment will begin in September 2019 and continue until the end of
June 2020. Participation will involve completion of a short questionnaire, a finger-prick blood sample and
the submission of 3 separate stool (poop) samples collected on separate days.
Doctors and nurses will be located at several locations throughout the community on different days from
September 2019 through June 2020, to provide opportunities for enrollment. On enrollment a debit card will
be mailed to the child’s home. Once the stool samples are collected, money will be electronically transferred
to the card. Each participant will be paid a stipend for collection of all 3 stool samples. The child will be
provided with 3 containers in which to stool into. The container fits neatly into a toilet bowl, and has a
collection bucket that detaches and can be sealed with a lid. The stool sample will need to be delivered to the
John Paul Jones Hospital within 12 hours of being passed for processing. Study staff will be available to
facilitate collection of these samples.
If a child is diagnosed with an infection, doctors and nurses from UAB will provide treatment at no charge
to the family.
For more information, please call 1-877-975-7280 (Dr. Poole) or 205-354-8660 (Ms. Janice Robinson)

Division of Infectious Diseases
308 Children’s Harbor Building
1600 6th Avenue South
205.934.2441
Fax 205.975.6549
www.chsys.org ∙ www.peds.uab.edu

The University of
Alabama at Birmingham
Mailing Address:
CHB 308
1530 3RD AVE S
BIRMINGHAM, AL 35294-0113