Transmission of Helminth Eggs Through Hands in a High-Risk Community

This journal paper explores the role that hand hygiene plays in the transmission of Ascaris, by testing a newly developed method to quantify the presence helminth eggs on hands among a group of farmers in Vietnam. Results show that 34% of study participant hands' were positive for helminth eggs, though concentrations were low and ranged from 0–10 eggs/2 hands. The use of fresh excreta in agriculture was the only variable that showed an association with the concentrations of eggs found on hands.