Epidemiology of Intestinal Polyparasitism among Primary School Pupils in Awe, Awe Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Fecal samples were collected from 389 school children 200 (76.9%) boys and 189 (80.8%) girls and were examined by using direct smear, formalin-ether administration techniques socio-economic personal hygiene, environmental and demographic information were collected by using self-administered questionnaire. The overall 389 (78.7) of the children were found to be infected by at least one parasite species. Of this, 12.2% had multiple parasites. The overall prevalence infections were Trichuris trachiura (0.20%), Ascaris lumbricoides (48.6%), Hookworm (5.3%), Entamoeba histolytica (6.3%), Entamoeba coli (5.7%) and Ascaria lumbricoides + E. histolytica (7.5%). Parasitic infections between males and females showed significant differences in all the sexes (P<0.01). The percentage prevalence of Ascaria lumbricoides was high in children between 7 – 8 years and >12 years. For other intestinal parasites, no specific age relationship was established among the children. Findings from this study showed that using an unsafe water supply as a source for drinking water, presence of other family members infected with intestinal parasitic infections (IPI), not washing vegetables before competition, absence of toilet in the house, not wearing shoes when outside, not cutting nails periodically and not washing hands before eating were significant risk factors associated with intestinal multiple parasites among these pupils.