INTESTINAL NEMATODE PARASITES AMONGST SCHOOL CHILDREN

ATTENDING SOME PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN MBAITOLI LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AREA, IMO STATE, NIGERIA.
Kalu M.K1, Eugene C.N, Ifeanyi A.O1
1Department of Animal and Environmental Biology,
Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria
2Department of Pest Management Technology,
Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, Ebonyi State Nigeria.
E-mail: kalumangkalu@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Intestinal parasitosis remains an important public health problem in
underdeveloped and developing countries. Intestinal nematode parasites
comprise an important group of human endoparasites that infect mostly
school age children. This research was carried out to determine the
prevalence of intestinal nematode parasites (INP) in children attending
two primary schools in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, Imo State,
South-Eastern Nigeria. Two hundred feacal samples from 200 school
children were examined using direct smear. The overall infected
samples were 85(42.50%), comprising 43(21.50%) females and
42(21.00%) males. Three intestinal nematode parasite species were
indentified: Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm.
When ranked by proportion, parasite loads were found as follows:
Ascaris lumbricoides (67.06%), hookworm (27.06%) and Trichuris
trichiura (21.18%). Statistical analysis indicates a significant difference
(p>0.05) in prevalence of the parasites with Ascaris lumbricoides having
the highest rate of prevalence. There were single and double infections
in the study. We conclude that there is a pronounced intestinal
nematode parasitic burden amongst school children in Mbaitoli Local
Government Area, Imo State, Nigeria. Therefore, regular de-worming
exercise with appropriate antihelminthes, education on personal hygiene
and other health campaign programmes if carried out in the rural areas
will improve the health status of school children.