Assessment of sanitary conditions and prevalence of enteric parasitic infections among school children of Visakhapatnam

Abstract

Background: Sanitation in schools is the significant factor that holds an important role in children’s health and their performance. Recent studies in southern India revealed that the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths was almost 7.8% varying from school to school. Objective: To assess the sanitary facilities in the government-aided schools and the prevalence of parasitic enteric infections in school children. Materials and Methods: A total of 2,250 stool samples were taken from the children of age group ranging 6–13 years and examined using the formalin–ethyl acetate concentration method. Result: Among the 2,250 children, a total of 288 children were infected with one or more enteric parasitic infections. There was predominance in single infection (204 cases) in relation to multiple infections (84 cases). Of the 204 single infection cases, 143 pupils were infected with protozoa infections and 61 pupils with helminths infections. The highest prevalent helminths was “hook worm” (0.6%) and protozoan “Blastocystis hominis”(2.5%). Conclusion: All the children are vulnerable to the risk of enteric parasitic infections. The reasons might be owing to improper sanitation facilities in schools, lack of awareness about enteric infections, and no provision for safe disposal fecal matter. First, a periodic treatment should be given to students once or twice a year. This intervention can reduce the morbidity of parasitic infections. Second, the provision of health and hygiene components such as promotion of handwashing and improved sanitation can reduce the prevalence of parasitic infections.