Common Intestinal Helminthes Associated With Nursery and Primary School Pupils in Dukku Town

Abstract

Intestinal worm infection is one of the most common causes of illness affecting the performance of pupils due to the child’s inability to attend school or due to pains inflicted by such infections. Stool samples were collected from 300 school children (who consented to the study) aged 6–12. The stool samples were analyzed for worm segments, helminth eggs, and larvae using standard methods. Other information was collected using a structured questionnaire designed for this study. The results showed that Ascaris lumbricoides 27(57.4%) was the most predominant, followed by Trichuris trichiura [12(25.5%)] and hookworm [8(17.0%)] as the least prevalent. Location-specific prevalence showed a significant difference (p<0.05) in the acquisition of helminths. Most of the children from the semi-urban area attending public schools (21.8%) had a higher prevalence than their counterparts in the more urban area attending private schools (10.1%). Children who had ponds (24.5%) and wells (19.4%) as their sources of potable water had a higher prevalence than their counterparts with borehole water (9.9%) and tap water (2.0%). Children who had pit toilets (26.7%) had a higher prevalence than their counterparts with water closets (12.9%). Children whose parents were traders (20.9%) and farmers (18.0%) had a higher prevalence than their counterparts whose parents were civil servants (10.7%). The ages and sexes of subjects showed no significant difference (p>0.05) in the acquisition of helminths in the study. This study has shown that intestinal helminths are still prevalent among primary school-aged children, especially in rural areas. Therefore, we recommend routine examination of stool samples from all primary school children and urge relevant governmental agencies to establish Health Posts in nursery/primary schools. However, further study is advocated.