Comparison of Kato Katz and Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Methods in Diagnosing Helminth Infection in Pregnant Women in Enrekang District, Indonesia

Abstract

Background: Pregnant women are very vulnerable to diseases, one of which is worm infection. Worm infections in pregnant women affect the fetus’s condition, such as the risk of prematurity, low birth weight, and perinatal mortality. The STH target set by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be achieved by 2030 is to establish an efficient STH control program in adolescents, pregnant, and lactating women in the context of elimination, so a sensitive diagnostic is needed to detect worm infections. This study aims to determine the comparison of examination using the Kato Kats (KK) and Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) methods in pregnant women in Enrekang Regency.