Prevalence Of Intestinal Helminthiasis In Nursery And Primary School Children In Enugu Metropolis,

Abstract

Context: Intestinal helminthiasis affect the nutritional status of school aged children. Objective: o determine the prevalence of intestinal helminthiasis in nursery and primary school children in Enugu. Methods: A cross-sectional survey on 460 nursery and primary school children from Enugu metropolis. The prevalence of helminthiasis in children aged 1 -10 years was determined using the kato-katz method. Stool samples were collected from nursery and primary school children into appropriately labeled clean specimen containers for examination. Questionnaires were administered by the researchers to obtain data from the children and from their guardians or parents. Results: Out of 460 nursery and primary school children who completed the study, only 32.6% of them had intestinal helminths demonstrated in their stool samples. The prevalent intestinal helminths included Ascaris lumbricoides (14.6%), hookworm (12.8%) and Trichuris trichiura (5.2%).The highest prevalence was seen in those aged between 9 and 10 years. Conclusion: There is high prevalence of intestinal helminths in Enugu. Attention should be given by the government to periodically carry out mass de worming exercise among nursery and primary school children in Enugu. Keywords: Children, Enugu, helminthes, Intestinal, prevalence Ebonyi Medical Journal Vol. 7 (1&2) 2008: pp. 42-46