English

Abstract

The study was conducted to know the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) in children aged 1-14 years attending outpatients and inpatients from both urban and rural background. Out of the 550 stool samples examined, 450 were from the study group and 100 from the control group. All the 450 children of the study group presented one or more of the classical symptoms like abdominal pain, low grade fever, diarrhoea, dysentery, constipation and pica. Hundred children from the control group did not have any classical symptoms. Thirty five per cent from the study group and 21 per cent from the control group were found positive for one or more of the helminthic infection. The prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Ancylostoma duodenale & Necator americanus (hookworm), Hymenolepis nana and Enterobius vermicularis were 27%, 15%, 0.4%, 2% and 0.22%, respectively in the study group and 15%, 10%, 4%, 2%, and 2%, respectively in the control group. Strongyloides stercoralis was not found either in the study or control groups. Helminthic infections were more common in 7-9 years of age group, urban children with low socio-economic strata, and with male preponderance. Majority of children who harboured STH were suffering from abdominal pain and low grade fever. Total 450 clinical samples (control group) examined by direct wet mount, saturated salt floatation, and formalin-ether sedimentation; and only 391 samples examined by Kato-Katz semiquantitative techniques. Twenty six per cent positive by direct wet mount, 35% by both saturated salt floatation and formalin-ether sedimentation whereas 38% of the samples were found positive by Kato-Katz semiquantitative technique. In conclusion, concentration techniques like saturated salt floatation and formalin-ether sedimentation are the best diagnostic tools to get authentic and reliable results and to rule out fallacious inference caused by relying only on direct wet mount preparation, whereas Kato-Katz, a semiquantitative technique is the best diagnostic method to know the prevalence and intensity of the STH infection. This technique is simple, rapid, reliable, and mild infections can also be detected. No special equipment and expertise are needed and it can be performed in the field survey.