Clinical and epidemiological aspects of enterobiosis in preschoolers

Abstract

The aim of the study is to analyze the clinical and epidemiological aspects of enterobiosis in preschool children. Materials and methods. The material for the study was the data of outpatient records of 164 patients with laboratory-confirmed enterobiosis aged 9 months to 17 years. Results. Of the 164 children who sought medical help, more than half — 54.9 % — were children of preschool age. The majority of children — 86.7 % were from organized collectives (nurseries, kindergartens). The reasons for the examination of children were diverse. More than half of cases of enetrobiosis (55.4 %) were detected in children according to the results of preventive examinations in children's institutions. Another part of the children — 43.4 % — sought medical help due to the presence of clinical symptoms and complaints. And only in a single case — 1.2 % — the child was examined as a contact with a sick family member. When collecting an epidemiological history, it was found that 58 % had geophagia (eating the earth), 30.1 % had onychophagia (the habit of biting nails). 7.2 % of the surveyed children and their parents indicated non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene (the habit of not washing their hands before eating). 12 % of children had contact with pets (cats and dogs), including 4.8 % with dogs and 1.2 % with cats. Clinical manifestations of the disease, as a rule, occurred in children who sought medical help (50.1 %), and were not detected as a result of a preventive examination. All patients with enetrobiosis received therapy with albendazole and pyrantel in accordance with the instructions for these drugs. Conclusion. According to the results of the study, a wide prevalence of enetrobiosis was revealed among preschool children attending organized collectives. The main risk factors are bad habits, such as geo- and onychophagy, as well as lack of hand washing skills before eating. The most effective measures for the prevention of this parasitosis are timely periodic preventive examinations and hygienic training of preschool children.