Read Me files for the use of the Data Base: Dataset_Argentina_STH_WS_771 of the Study: Effect of 
poor access to water and sanitation as risk factors for Soil-transmitted Helminth infection: 
selectiveness by the infective route.
This data base was constructed with information obtained from Forms-1, which are forms filled 
every three months by public health personnel (Sanitary Agents) working in the study population, 
one form for each household. Along with the results of the diagnostic methods performed in the 
assessed group.
Below you will find the description of each variable considered in the study.
1.	Date: date of stool/blood sample collection. YYYY-MM-DD format.
2.	ID: subject identification number.
3.	Locality: site of residence of the study subject.
4.	X_coord: latitude of the study locality. Coordinate Reference SystemWorld Geodetic 
System 84 (WGS-84). Geographical data obtained with a manual GPS device (GARMIN GPS 
eTrex) at the public hospital of each locality. Position format decimal degrees 
(hddd.dddddd°).
5.	Y_coord: longitude of the study locality. Coordinate Reference SystemWorld Geodetic 
System 84 (WGS-84). Geographical data obtained with a manual GPS device (GARMIN GPS 
eTrex) at the public hospital of each locality. Position format decimal degrees 
(hddd.dddddd°).
6.	Setting: characteristics of the site of study. Rural or urban.}
7.	Sex: gender of the study subject. 
8.	Age: age of the study subject in years.
9.	Stst_S: Strongyloides stercoralis infection detected by serology, NIE-ELISA technique. Code 
blank= missing data (no serum sample available to perform study). Code 0= negative (IgG 
titers against Strongyloides stercoralis detected below cutoff value). Code 1= positive (IgG 
titers against Strongyloides stercoralis detected above cutoff value).
10.	Stst_P: Strongyloides stercoralis infection detected by parasitology, with any performed 
method (sedimentation/concentration, agar plate culture, Baermann concentration of 
charcoal-cultured fresh stool, and Harada-Mori filter paper culture) Code blank= missing 
data. Code 0= negative (no Strongyloides stercoralis larvae found). Code 1= positive (at 
least one Strongyloides stercoralis larva found).
11.	Stst_P_S: Strongyloides stercoralis infection detected by parasitology, with any performed 
method (sedimentation/concentration, agar plate culture, Baermann concentration of 
charcoal-cultured fresh stool, and Harada-Mori filter paper culture) and/or by serology 
with NIE-ELISA technique. Code blank= missing data. Code 0= negative (IgG titers against 
Strongyloides stercoralis detected below cutoff value and no larvae found by parasitology). 
Code 1= positive (IgG titers against Strongyloides stercoralis detected above cutoff value 
and/or at least one larva detected by parasitology).	
12.	HKW: Hookworm infection not identified by species; detected by parasitology, with any 
performed method (sedimentation/concentration, McMaster egg counting method, agar 
plate culture, Baermann concentration of charcoal-cultured fresh stool, and Harada-Mori 
filter paper culture). Code blank= missing data. Code 0= negative (no hookworm eggs 
detected). Code 1= positive (at least one hookworm egg detected).
13.	A_duo: Ancylostoma duodenale infection identified by species; detected by parasitology, 
with Harada-Mori filter paper culture method. Code blank= missing data. Code 0= negative 
(no Ancylostoma duodenale larvae detected after filter paper culture). Code 1= positive (at 
least one Ancylostoma duodenale larva detected after filter paper culture).
14.	N_amer: Necator americanus infection identified by species; detected by parasitology, 
with Harada-Mori filter paper culture method. Code blank= missing data. Code 0= negative 
(no Necator americanus larvae detected after filter paper culture). Code 1= positive (at 
least one Necator americanus larva detected after filter paper culture).
15.	HKW_gr:  Hookworm infection not identified by species and/or Necator americanus 
and/or Ancylostoma duodenale infection; detected by parasitology, with any performed 
method (sedimentation/concentration, McMaster egg counting method, agar plate 
culture, Baermann concentration of charcoal-cultured fresh stool, and Harada-Mori filter 
paper culture). Code blank= missing data. Code 0= negative (no Necator americanus or 
Ancylostoma duodenale larvae detected after filter paper culture and no hookworm eggs 
detected by any parasitological method). Code 1= positive (at least one larva of Necator 
americanus or Ancylostoma duodenale detected after filter paper culture and/or at least 
one hookworm egg detected by any parasitological method).
16.	A_lum: Ascaris lumbricoides infection detected by parasitology, with any performed 
method (sedimentation/concentration, McMaster egg counting method, agar plate 
culture, Baermann concentration of charcoal-cultured fresh stool, and Harada-Mori filter 
paper culture). Code blank= missing data. Code 0= negative (no Ascaris lumbricoides eggs 
detected). Code 1= positive (at least one Ascaris lumbricoides egg detected).
17.	Trtr: Trichuris trichiura infection detected by parasitology, with any performed method 
(sedimentation/concentration, McMaster egg counting method, agar plate culture, 
Baermann concentration of charcoal-cultured fresh stool, and Harada-Mori filter paper 
culture). Code blank= missing data. Code 0= negative (no Trichuris trichiura eggs 
detected). Code 1= positive (at least one Trichuris trichiura egg detected).
18.	STH_P: Any Soil-transmitted helminths infection (Strongyloides stercoralis and/or 
Hookworm and/or Trichuris trichiura and/or Ascaris lumbricoides) detected by 
parasitology, with any performed method (sedimentation/concentration, McMaster egg 
counting method, agar plate culture, Baermann concentration of charcoal-cultured fresh 
stool, and Harada-Mori filter paper culture). Code blank= missing data. Code 0= negative 
(no STH larvae or eggs detected by any parasitological method). Code 1= positive (at least 
one STH larva or egg detected by any parasitological method).
19.	STH_P_S: Any Soil-transmitted helminths infection (Strongyloides stercoralis and/or 
Hookworm and/or Trichuris trichiura and/or Ascaris lumbricoides) detected by 
parasitology, with any performed method (sedimentation/concentration, McMaster egg 
counting method, agar plate culture, Baermann concentration of charcoal-cultured fresh 
stool, and Harada-Mori filter paper culture) and or by Strongyloides stercoralis serology 
with NIE-ELISA technique. Code 0= negative (IgG titers against Strongyloides stercoralis 
detected below cutoff value and no STH larvae or eggs found by parasitology). Code 1= 
positive (IgG titers against Strongyloides stercoralis detected above cutoff value and/or at 
least one STH larva or egg detected by parasitology).	
20.	Skin_penetrators_P: Infection by any STH specie infective by skin penetration of larvae 
(Strongyloides stercoralis and/or Hookworm) detected by parasitology, with any 
performed method (sedimentation/concentration, McMaster egg counting method, agar 
plate culture, Baermann concentration of charcoal-cultured fresh stool, and Harada-Mori 
filter paper culture). Code blank= missing data. Code 0= negative (no larvae or eggs of STH 
skin-penetrator species detected by any parasitological method). Code 1= positive (at least 
one larva or egg of STH skin-penetrator species detected by any parasitological method).
21.	Skin_penetrators_P_S: Infection by any STH specie infective by skin penetration of larvae 
(Strongyloides stercoralis and/or Hookworm) detected by parasitology, with any 
performed method (sedimentation/concentration, McMaster egg counting method, agar 
plate culture, Baermann concentration of charcoal-cultured fresh stool, and Harada-Mori 
filter paper culture) and/or by Strongyloides stercoralis serology with NIE-ELISA technique. 
Code 0= negative (IgG titers against Strongyloides stercoralis detected below cutoff value 
and no skin-penetrators STH larvae or eggs found by parasitology). Code 1= positive (IgG 
titers against Strongyloides stercoralis detected above cutoff value and/or at least one 
larva or egg of skin-penetrators STH detected by parasitology).	
22.	Orally_ingested: Infection by any STH specie infective by oral ingestion of embryonated 
eggs (Ascaris lumbricoides and/or Trichuris trichiura) detected by parasitology, with 
anyperformed method (sedimentation/concentration, McMaster egg counting method, 
agar plate culture, Baermann concentration of charcoal-cultured fresh stool, and Harada-
Mori filter paper culture). Code blank= missing data. Code 0= negative (no larvae or eggs 
of STH orally-ingested species detected by any parasitological method). Code 1= positive 
(at least one larva or egg of STH orally-ingested species detected by any parasitological 
method).
23.	Flooring: Flooring material of the study household. Code 1= concrete or tile (having 
concrete or tile as flooring material in all the rooms of the house) Code 2= ground (having 
ground as flooring material in all the rooms of the house). 
24.	Water: Water supply in the study household. Code 1= improved. Code 2= unimproved. As 
described in the sanitation and drinking-water ladders of the WHO/UNICEF Joint 
Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Suply and Sanitation. 
25.	Water_source: Source of the drinking-water available in the study household. Water 
supply is considered improved if drinking-water source is a) piped household water; b) 
public taps or standpipes; c) protected dug wells; d) protected springs; or e) tube wells or 
boreholes. While the use of surface water or drinking-water from unimproved sources 
(unprotected dug well, bottled water, unprotected springs or cart with small tank/drum) is 
considered unimproved water supply. 
26.	Sanitation: Characteristics of the sanitation available in the study household. Code 1= 
improved. Code 2= unimproved. As described in the sanitation and drinking-water ladders 
of the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Suply and Sanitation. 
27.	Sanitation_facility: Type of the sanitation facility available in the study household. 
Sanitation is considered improved if any of the following facilities is available in the 
household a) composting toilet; b) ventilated improved pit latrine; c) pit latrine with slab; 
d) flush/pour to piped sewer system; e)  flush/pour to septic tank; or f) flush/pour to pit 
latrine. Whenever the sanitation facility available is a) pit latrine without slab or platform; 
b) hanging latrine; c) bucket latrine; d) shared or public facilities of any kind; or e) open 
defecation (disposal of faeces in open spaces, open bodies of water or with solid waste), 
sanitation is considered unimproved.