The Burden of Multiple Intestinal Helminthes among Primary School Children in Doma, Doma Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Intestinal parasitic infections have always been an important public health problem in the tropics particularly in developing countries such as Nigeria for example. A cross-sectional survey involving 440 schools going children of both sexes aged 6 - >12 years was conducted in 4 primary schools at a different location in Doma Local Government Area (LGA) of Nasarawa State, Nigeria, between September 2015 to February 2016 to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites. Of the 440 samples examined 155 (35.22%) were infected with different intestinal parasites. The parasites observed included Entamoeba histolytica (6.59%), bookworm (5.22%), Ascaris lumbricoides (53.40%), Trichuris trichiuria (0.45%), E. coli (4.77%) and mixed infection of Ascaris lumbricoides and hookworm (7.27%) with Ascaris lumbricoides having the highest prevalence. Doma south primary school 38 (34.54) Islamiyya nursery/primary school and Doma west primary school had the lowest prevalence with 36 (32.72%) and 34 (30.90%) respectively. An overall prevalence of (35.22%) intestinal parasitic infection in school going children is moderately high and of public health concern. There is need to intensified integrated control measure to reduce or completely eradicate the intestinal parasitic infection in school pupils.