Abstract
BackgroundDiarrhoea is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children under 5 years of age in developing countries, including Ethiopia. It is caused by a wide range of pathogens, including parasites, bacteria and viruses. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of infection with intestinal parasites (IPs) (and types) among children under 5 years of age with diarrhoeal diseases.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at Adare Hospital and Millennium Health Centre, both located in Hawassa, South Ethiopia, from June 6 to October 28, 2011. Children under 5 years of age with diarrhoea who visited these health facilities during the study period were included in the study. Data relating to demography and risk factors associated with intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) were gathered using a structured questionnaire. Single, fresh stool specimens were examined for IPs using the direct wet mount examination, followed by Ziehl-Neelsen staining of formol-ether concentrated samples, as per standard procedures. Data were analysed using SPSS Statistics 20 software.ResultsA total of 158 children (51.3 % male and 48.7 % female) participated in the study. Overall, the prevalence of IPs was 26.6 % (42/158). Two species of IPs were detected in six children (3.8 %). Entamoeba histolytica/dispar/moshkovskii was the predominant parasite identified (11.4 %), followed by Giardia duodenalis (7.0 %). The multivariable analysis revealed that the age group ≥24 months was significantly associated (AOR = 0.221, 95 %CI: 0.085–0.576) with prevalence of IPIs.ConclusionThis study found that intestinal parasites are common among children with diarrheal diseases. The most frequently detected species was E. histolytica/dispar/moshkovskii. Health information about how to prevent diarrheal diseases in general and IPIs in particular should be provided to parents of young children.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40249-015-0081-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Diarrhoea is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children under 5 years of age in developing countries, including Ethiopia
Socio-demographic characteristics A total of 158 children aged three to 59 months presenting with diarrhoea to the two health facilities participated in the study
The overall prevalence of Intestinal parasitic infection (IPI) in the study participants was 26.6 %, indicating that Intestinal parasite (IP) are common in children with diarrhoeal diseases in the study area
Summary
Diarrhoea is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children under 5 years of age in developing countries, including Ethiopia. It is caused by a wide range of pathogens, including parasites, bacteria and viruses. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of infection with intestinal parasites (IPs) (and types) among children under 5 years of age with diarrhoeal diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diarrhoea is defined as having loose or watery stools at least three times per day, or more frequently than normal for an individual [2] It is a common symptom of gastrointestinal infections caused by a wide range of pathogens including parasites, bacteria and viruses. Intestinal schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are common among school children and preschool children in the country [9,10,11]
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