A Coprological Survey Of Geohelminth Infections Among School Children In Rural Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Abstract

A cross-sectional coprological survey involving 420 primary school pupils of both sexes aged 6-14 years, was conducted in 8 primary schools at different locations in Ishielu Local Government Area (L.G.A.) of Ebonyi State, Nigeria, to determine the prevalence and intensity of infection of the geohelminth (soil-transmitted helminth) parasites.The dominant geohelminth parasites identified were Ascaris lumbricoides (329%), Trichuris trichiura (20.5%), and hookworms (3.8%). Alogether 240 respondents composed of 124 (29.4%) maes and 116 (27.6%) females were infected wth one or more o the parastes thus estabshng an overa prevaence of 571% In 7/8(87.5%) of the study primary schools, over 50% othe children harboured the ova of the parasites. The distribution of the infections were not gender-dependent, and the between-sex prevalence was not statistically sgnificant (p > 005). The prevalence of the infections appeared to be generally age-dependent but not over- dispersed as there was a marked association between age of the pupiland the infectious process. Concomitant infection nvolving 133% of all the infected pupils was recorded. Generally, the intensity of the geoheminthiasis was of the light category for A. lumbricoides (999 epg). Moderate infections (1000 – 9999 epg) of trichiuriasis was recorded in all the study schoos. A deworming programme of the infected schoos and the at–risk population is recommended.

Keywords: Coprological survey, Geohelminth, Prevalence, Intensity of infection, Concomitant infection

Animal Research International Vol. 4 (2) 2007 pp. 653-661