ISSN 2756-3391
African Journal of Parasitology Research ISSN 2343-6549 Vol. 2 (10), pp. 152-160, October, 2015. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
A study of the incidence of intestinal helminthic diseases and their risk factors among school Children in Lumame town, Northwest, Ethiopia
*Worku Meles1, Isaias Merid2 and Michael Asfaw2
1Department of Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
2Department of Microbiology, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
Accepted 12 July, 2015
Abstract
This study was conducted on prevalence of intestinal helminthes infection and their associated risk factors among school children from a rural and a semi urban setting in Lumame town, Northwest, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional parasitological study was conducted to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of intestinal helminthes infection. A total of 402 students’ stool samples were taken and processed with direct wet mount and formalin ether concentration techniques from December to January 2011/2012. A structured questionnaire was prepared to assess the association of intestinal helminthes infection with socio-demographic and socioeconomic variables. The data collected was analyzed using 2 test and logistic regression (p < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant). The overall prevalence rate for at least one intestinal helminthes infection was 54.5%. Of which Ascaris lumbricoides (32.6%) was the dominant followed by hookworm (12.2%); the others were minor cases. High rate infection (A. lumbricoides) was recorded among students who had dirty finger nails, large family, habit of eating undercooked vegetable, walking barefoot, and had no latrine than their respective counterpart. Such relatively high prevalence rate of helminthes infection in the study area could be used as a baseline for the concerned bodies to launch de-worming intervention.
Key words: Intestinal helminthes, prevalence, school children, Lumame town.