Comparative assessment of intestinal helminths prevalence in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) intervention and non-intervention communities in Abeokuta, Nigeria

Abstract

ObjectiveThis study compared the prevalence of intestinal helminths in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) intervention and non-intervention communities in Abeokuta, Nigeria. MethodsStool samples were collected from 225 respondents in a study carried out between July and November, 2014. Stool samples were examined for presence of helminths using Formol-Ether concentration method. Data collected from stool samples were analyzed using SPSS for Windows (version 16). ResultsResults showed that, at the intervention community, 88 out of 113 respondents were infected with at least one helminth infection while at non-intervention community, 80 out of 112 respondents were infected. This result revealed overall helminth prevalence of 78% at Mawuko and 71% at Isolu. In both intervention (Mawuko) and non-intervention (Isolu) communities, hookworm was the most prevalent helminth observed (21% and 18%, respectively) followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (13% and 13%, respectively), Taenia sp. (4% and 3%, respectively) and Trichostrongylus sp. (1% and 3%, respectively). Cases of single infections of Trichuris trichiura, Strongyloides stercoralis and Hymenolepsis nana were observed only at the non-intervention community. However, S. stercoralis occurred in the multiple infections observed at the intervention community. Significantly more (p < 0.05) cases of infections were observed in male (46%) at the intervention community than female (31%) while in non-intervention community females (39%) were significantly (p < 0.05) more infected than their male counterparts (32%). ConclusionsThis study concludes that the Community Led-Total Sanitation intervention programme, which was executed in Mawuko was not effective as expected.