Status of Intestinal Parasitic Infections among Primary School Children in Rivers State, Nigeria.

A E Abah,F O I Arene

doi:10.1155/2015/937096

Abstract

Status of intestinal parasitic infections among primary school children in Rivers State, Nigeria, was investigated between January and December 2011. A total of 3,826 stool samples were collected from school children (1,828 males and 1998 females) in 36 primary schools from 13 local government areas of Rivers State. The samples were analyzed using wet saline/iodine and formol ether concentration methods. Of the 3,826 stool samples examined, 1059 (27.66%) were positive for different intestinal parasites, namely, Ascaris lumbricoides (51.78%), hookworm sp. (25.0%), Trichuris trichiura (15.18%), Strongyloides stercoralis (7.14%), Taenia sp. (0.89%), and Enterobius vermicularis (0.01%). The prevalence of the infection was generally higher in males (57.60%) than females (42.40%). The differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Among these intestinal parasites, Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm sp., and Trichuris trichiura were found in all the 13 local government areas studied while Strongyloides stercoralis was found in 12, Taenia sp. in five, and Enterobius vermicularis in only one community in Ahoada Local Government Area. The overall infection rate remains high and would require coordinated deworming of the school children within the state.

Highlights

Few reports exist on intestinal parasitic infections among school children in Rivers State, Nigeria [1,2,3]
Of the 3,826 children examined for intestinal parasitic infections, 1059 (27.66%) were infected (Table 1)
Parasites identified in the study were Ascaris lumbricoides 51.78%, hookworm 25%, Trichuris trichiura 15.18%, Strongyloides stercoralis 7.14%, Taenia sp. 0.89%, and Enterobius vermicularis 0.01% (Figure 1)

Summary

Introduction

Few reports exist on intestinal parasitic infections among school children in Rivers State, Nigeria [1,2,3]. Intestinal parasitic infection is known to cause deleterious effects especially in children some of which include trauma, nutrition-robbing and poisoning [10], change in resistance, and immune impotence [11]. These parasites frequently encountered are Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Strongyloides stercoralis, and hookworm [12]. Abah and Arene [1] in their work on intestinal helminthiasis among primary school children in Akpor area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, recorded 42.7% prevalence with hookworm 16.0%, Ascaris lumbricoides 15.4%, Trichuris trichiura 8.0%, Strongyloides stercoralis 3.0%, and Taenia saginata 1.7%. Ezenwaka et al [13] reported 18.5% prevalence among children in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State with A. lumbricoides 9.5%, hookworm 7.5%, Trichuris trichiura 1.5%, E. vermicularis 1%, and Taenia species 1%

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Conclusion