INTESTINAL PARASITISM AMONG THE STUDENT POPULATION OF THE WONJI-SHOA SUGAR ESTATE

Abstract

ABSTRACT:

Students from the five schools of the Wonji Shoa Sugar Estate had their stool specimens examined for intestinal parasites. The method of student selection was by the stratified simple random sample employed for each school. The formol ether concentration supplemented by the direct saline method was used to detect the diagnostic stages of the parasites. Of the 964 examined, 563 (58.4%) were found positive for one or more parasites. Significantly higher infection rate was noted in males than in females (p<0.001). Infection with multiple parasite species was observed in 48% of the positives. On the coverage, 1.7 parasite species per infected individual was recorded for all positive students. Of the ten parasites detected, the leading in order of their level of prevalence were; Ascaris lumbricoides (22.2%) Trichuris trichiura (19.5%), Schistosoma mansoni (15.4%) and Hookworm sp. (14.7%). The prevalence of the other parasites ranged from 0.7% (Enterobius vermicularis) to 6.7% (Giardia lamblia). While the frequency of infection with Schistosoma mansoni, Hookworm sp. and Strongyloides stercoralis were significantly higher in males than in females respectively (p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.05) the reverse was true with Taenia sp. (p<0.05). The implications of the present findings with the possible lines of control are discussed.