Current Status of Soil-Transmitted Helminths among School Children in Kakamega County, Western Kenya.

Teresia Ngonjo,Collins Okoyo,Charles Mwandawiro,Elses Simiyu,Agola Eric Lelo,Ephantus Kabiru,Julius Andove,Jimmy Kihara

doi:10.1155/2016/7680124

Abstract

Background. School age children are at high risk of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) worldwide. In Kenya, STH infections in children remain high despite the periodic administration of anthelmintic drugs. Our study assessed the prevalence and intensity of STH in primary school-aged children in Kakamega County, western Kenya. Methodology. We carried out a cross-sectional study on a population of 731 children attending 7 primary schools in March 2014. Children aged 4–16 years were examined for STH by the quantitative Kato-Katz technique. Infection intensities were expressed as eggs per gram (epg) of faeces. Findings. Among 731 school children examined for STH, 44.05% were infected. Highest prevalence of STH was in Shitaho primary school where 107 participants were examined and 62.6% were infected with mean intensity of 11667 epg. Iyenga had the least prevalence where 101 participants were examined and 26.7% were infected with mean intensity of 11772 epg. A. lumbricoides was the most prevalent STH species with 43.5% infected, while hookworm infections were low with 1.8% infected. Conclusion. Prevalence of STHs infections in Kakamega County remains high. We recommend guidelines and other control strategies to be scaled up to break transmission cycles.

Highlights

Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) infections represent a major public health problem in poor and developing countries and have constituted a universal burden which does depend on regional ecological condition and on local standard of social and economic development of the people [1]
Data was collected from 731 children in 7 primary schools in 3 sub-counties of Kakamega County
Of the 731 participants examined for soil-transmitted helminth (STH) combined, 44.05% were infected

Summary

Background

School age children are at high risk of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) worldwide. In Kenya, STH infections in children remain high despite the periodic administration of anthelmintic drugs. Our study assessed the prevalence and intensity of STH in primary school-aged children in Kakamega County, western Kenya. We carried out a cross-sectional study on a population of 731 children attending 7 primary schools in March 2014. Children aged 4–16 years were examined for STH by the quantitative Kato-Katz technique. Among 731 school children examined for STH, 44.05% were infected. Highest prevalence of STH was in Shitaho primary school where 107 participants were examined and 62.6% were infected with mean intensity of 11667 epg. Iyenga had the least prevalence where 101 participants were examined and 26.7% were infected with mean intensity of 11772 epg. A_lumbricoides was the most prevalent STH species with 43.5% infected, while hookworm infections were low with 1.8% infected. Prevalence of STHs infections in Kakamega County remains high. We recommend guidelines and other control strategies to be scaled up to break transmission cycles

Introduction

Materials and Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion

Ethical Approval