Epidemiology and Molecular Identification of Intestinal Parasites among Pupils in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

Aims: This study assessed prevalence, risk factors and species diversity of intestinal parasites among primary-school pupils in Port Harcourt. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Methodology: Stool specimens from 208 pupils were examined by direct wet mount and formol-ether concentration; DNA was extracted and parasite genes amplified on an ABI 9700 thermal cycler. Sociodemographic and behavioural data were obtained with a structured questionnaire. Data analyses were performed in GraphPad Prism 9 using Chi square tests; significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Prevalence of intestinal parasite infection was 24.5 %. Age (p = 0.0184), mother’s occupation (p = 0.0013), hand-washing (p = 0.0057), nutrition type (p = 0.0007), raw-produce consumption (p = 0.0104) and contact with domestic animals (p = 0.0126) were significantly associated with infection. Entamoeba histolytica was the leading parasite (13.0 %), followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (5.3 %) and mixed A. lumbricoides + E. histolytica infection (3.4 %). Highest risk occurred in pupils aged 5–7 years and in children of unemployed or privately employed mothers. Regular hand-washing and homemade meals were protective, whereas fast food, raw fruit or vegetable intake and animal contact increased risk. Molecular screening confirmed E. histolytica, E. dispar, E. moshkovskii and A. lumbricoides, demonstrating considerable species diversity. Conclusion: These findings underline the continuing burden of intestinal parasites in urban Nigerian schools and highlight modifiable behaviours that can be addressed through hygiene promotion, food-safety education and targeted deworming to protect vulnerable pupils. Implementation of routine stool surveillance is recommended to monitor intervention success and emerging species in the area. Molecular diagnostic methods offer higher sensitivity and specificity but they have limitations due to high costs and technical demands. Therefore, they may be considered as complementary tools to microscopy and conventional diagnostic methods, especially in research settings.