INTESTINAL PARASITES OF SCHOOL-CHILDREN IN URBAN AND RURAL-AREAS OF EASTERN NIGERIA

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 242  (1) , 121-131
Abstract
From Oct. 1975-March 1976 an epidemiological survey was performed in Anambra and Imo states, Nigeria to determine the rate of intestinal worm and protozoan infections in school children. A total of 1742 children, out of which 813 were from the urban and 929 from the rural schools, were screened of intestinal helminths and 1699 were examined for intestinal protozoan infections. Concentration methods HCl-ether centrifugation technique and Heidenhain.apprx. Fe-hematoxylin staining method, respectively, were adopted for the identification of helminth eggs and protozoal cysts. Of the total number examined, 1405 (81%) eggs of 1 or more helminth species were detected. Carriage rates of helminth infections were highest (87%) in children from the rural schools, in whom hookworm (90% of carriers) predominated. Besides high rates of hookworm, ascaris and trichuris infections, other parasites of public health importance (Schistosoma mansoni, Paragonimus uterobilateralis and Diphyllobothrium latum) were detected. Significantly, an increase in the rate of helminthic infections with age was noted in the survey. Of the 1699 children, 55% were carriers of cysts of 1 or more protozoa species. Higher carriage rate (56%) of protozoan infections was noted in urban children. Comparatively, lambliasis predominated in the urban children, while infection with Entamoeba histolytica was recorded slightly higher in rural children.

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