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Current status of soil-transmitted helminthiases among pre-school and school-aged children from Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

O.A. Sowemimo  and
S.O. Asaolu
O.A. Sowemimo*
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Obefemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
S.O. Asaolu
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Obefemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
*
*E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

A cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine the prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminths among pre-school and school-aged children attending nursery and primary schools in Ile-Ife. Single stool samples were collected between January and March, 2009 from 352 children randomly selected from a total of 456 children attending both private and government schools. The stool samples were processed using the modified Kato–Katz technique, and then examined for the eggs of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). One hundred and twenty-one (34.4%) samples were positive for STH eggs. The overall prevalences of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm were 33.2%, 3.7% and 0.9%, respectively. The prevalence of STH infection in government schools (47.8%) was significantly higher than in private schools (16.1%) (P < 0.001). The most common type of mixed infection was the combination of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura (6.8%). The prevalence and intensity of A. lumbricoides rose with age. The lowest prevalence and intensity (7.7%; 0.240 ± 0.136 eggs per gram (epg)) were recorded in the 2- to 3-year-old age group, while the highest prevalence and intensity (58.7%; 1.820 ± 0.237 epg) were recorded in children aged 10 years and above. A questionnaire survey indicated that 73% of the children attending private school had been treated with anthelminthics less than 2 months prior to the collection of stool specimens, while 43% of the children attending government school received anthelminthic treatment during the same period. The findings indicate that STH infections are endemic among schoolchildren in Ile-Ife and that the burden of parasitic infections is greater in government schools than in private schools.

Type
Research Papers
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 85 , Issue 3 , September 2011 , pp. 234 - 238
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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