Prevalence of intestinal parasites among school children in Owerri municipality, Imo state, Nigeria

Abstract

A study on the prevalence of intestinal parasites was conducted among school children in Owerri Municipality of Imo State, Nigeria, between February and September 2003. Of the 1511 children examined, 721 (47.7%) were infected with intestinal parasites. The parasites encountered included Ascaris lumbricoides (18.5%), Trichuris truchiura (10.7%), Entamoeba histolytica (7.3%), Strongyloides stercoralis (6.0%), and Hookworm (5.3%). The age group 12-15 years was the least infected with the infection prevalence of 26.3%. Although the prevalence of intestinal parasites was higher among males (50.3%) than in the females (45.7%), it was not significant (p<0.05). Some possible control/preventive strategies are highlighted. This study confirms a relatively high level of helminthic parasites in school children in Owerri municipality. By this, it is clear that there is a need for intervention in the area to control the disease.

Keywords: Intestinal parasites; worms; school children; public health; Nigeria

International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences Vol. 2 (3) 2006: pp. 201-204