Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) have been a great concern throughout the world
among the poorest and the most deprived communities. Orang Asli (indigenous) community in
Malaysia is highly prone to STHs infection due to their living environment where soil
contamination can serve as the main reservoir. This study was aimed to investigate the
presence of Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides eggs in the soil samples in and
around the Orang Asli villages located in Sungai Lalang Baru, Ulu Semenyih, Selangor. The
soil samples were collected from June to November 2017 over a period of six months.
Approximately 200-250 gram of soil samples were collected in a plastic bag from a depth of
about 4-6 inches. The sedimentation and microscopic techniques was used to recover and
estimate the Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides eggs from the soil samples. A
total of 40 samples soil samples were collected, in which 36 (90%) were positive for A.
lumbricoides and 6 (15%) were positive T. trichiura. Various soil textures like sandy, loamy
and clay harbored the helminth eggs. The contaminated soil could potentially lead to
transmission of the helminth eggs by natural process like rain and water movement to their
sounding environments, hence screening of soil sample in the environment serves as in
indication for presence of STHs.