Field and laboratory procedures
Field workers collected stool samples from prevalence survey participants in the randomly selected schools, and from the participants who took part in the albendazole treatment trial three weeks after treatment. The collected stool samples were contained in a designated stool container secured in a cooling box carried by the field workers, and transferred to the district central laboratory in Kigandalo health centre IV where Kato-Katz examination was performed. Two slides were prepared from one stool sample within 24 hours of being delivered to the laboratory. The stool samples not treated with the Kato-Katz method on the same delivery day were contained in the refrigerator with 4°C condition overnight.The slides were interpreted by examiners from the Vector-borne and NTDs Control Division (VCD) of the Ministry of Health of Uganda. The supervisor from VCD re-examined 5% of slides to ensure the accuracy of results.