A Survey of Soil-Transmitted Helminths Infections and Schistosomiasis mansoni among School Children in Libo-Kemkem District, Northwest Ethiopia: Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

The burden of disease caused by infection with schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthes remains enormous. It is widely recognized that school children carry the heaviest burden of morbidity. Apart from the morbidity associated with acute infections, those who are chronically infected are often physically and intellectually compromised by anaemia, leading to attention deficits, learning disabilities, school absenteeism and higher dropout rates. Taking this into consideration, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, the intensity and the relative frequency of multi-parasitism of the major soil-transmitted helminthes (Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and the hookworms) and Schistosoma mansoni. A cross sectional survey was conducted from February 10, 2011 up to May 10, 2011, in three primary schools in Libo-Kemkem District, northwest Ethiopia. 365(173 males and 192 females) pupils, selected using systematic sampling using a random start, had their fecal specimens been examined using Kato-Katz cellophane fecal thick smear technique (41.7 mg template). S. mansoni was the most prevalent (15.9%) followed by A. lumbricoides (11.0%), the hookworms (8.2%) and T. trichiura (1.6%) and the corresponding geometric mean egg counts per gram were 122, 1749, 582 and 13 respectively. Single, double and triple infections encountered were 21.1%, 4.9% and 1.9% respectively. Most of the double infections were a combination of A. lumbricoides and the hookworms (3.6%). All schools combined, the average prevalence and egg count for each helminthes were neither age nor sex related but intensity of S. mansoni by age group which was statistically significant (p<0.05). The distribution of helminthes among pupils was over dispersed: that is, while most pupils harbored few or no and a few harbored many of them. Although, as compared to the previous studies, the present study showed a lowered infection rates, the relative increase in S. mansoni prevalence signifies a need for promoting intervention measures.