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Article History

Received: 1 October 2025

Accepted: 19 December 2025

First Online: 27 December 2025

Declarations

:

: Ethical approval for this study was obtained from Hawassa University’s Institutional Review Board (Ref. No: IRB/176/15). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants aged 18 years and older. For inmates under the age of 18, assents were obtained from the minors themselves, and written informed consent was secured from a designated cell representative acting in loco parentis (as a guardian). The study details were thoroughly explained to participants in their native language to ensure comprehension. All study procedures were conducted in compliance with the ethical and regulatory principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Participation was entirely voluntary, with the right to decline questions or not to provide samples without any penalty. All collected data were anonymized and kept confidential, accessible only to the principal investigator. Participants found to be infected with parasites received appropriate treatment following national treatment guidelines.

: The authors declare no competing interests.