When treating soil-transmitted helminths, what is a common preventive measure?

Improving sanitation and hygiene practices is a fundamental preventive measure when addressing soil-transmitted helminths (STH) infections. These parasites, which include species like Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and hookworms, are typically transmitted through contaminated soil, water, and food, often due to inadequate sanitation facilities and poor personal hygiene.

By enhancing sanitation and hygiene practices, such as ensuring access to clean drinking water, proper waste disposal, and regular handwashing, the transmission of these parasites can be significantly reduced. This approach targets the root causes of infection by limiting human contact with contaminated soil and decreasing the likelihood of ingesting eggs or larvae.

Other options, such as mandatory vaccinations, increasing the use of antibiotics, or promoting the consumption of raw vegetables, do not effectively address the transmission pathways or prevention of soil-transmitted helminth infections. Hence, improving sanitation and hygiene is the most relevant and effective strategy in preventing STH infections.