Soil-transmitted helminth infection among school-age children in Ogoja, Nigeria: implication for control

Abstract

The study aimed at assessing the prevalence and risk factors of soil-transmitted helminthiases amongst school-aged children in Ogoja Local Government Area, Cross River State. Faecal samples were collected from 504 participants and analysed using the Kato-Katz technique. A total of 232 (46.0%) samples were positive for soil-transmitted helminths. The overall prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm, Trichuris trichiura, and Strongyloides stercoralis were 14.1%, 16.5%, 2.6%, and 12.9% respectively. The prevalence of infections were higher among males (46.6%) than females (45.4%). Overall parasitic infection was higher in the 5-7 year age group (65.6%) than in the other age groups (p = 0.000). Infection intensities of A. lumbricoides (84.00 EPG) (p = 0.044) and T. trichiura (96.00 EPG) (p = 0.041) were higher in school-age children aged 14-16 years. A. lumbricoides and hookworm co-infection (8.7%) was the most common mixed infection and was signi cantly higher in males than females. School-aged children who did not have prior knowledge about soiltransmitted helminth infections, the habit of drinking water without boiling, open defecation, use of pit latrine and children who did not have toilet facilities in school were signi cantly associated with soil-transmitted helminthiases. There was a signi cant relationship between washing hands after using the toilet, the habit of putting on footwear outside the house, and soil-transmitted helminth infection. In addition to preventive chemotherapy, control measures should focus on health education, providing clean drinking water, proper disposal of human excreta and sewage, and environmental hygiene.

Status of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis Among Adolescents in Anaocha Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria: Prevalence, Associated Factors, and Future Directions After a Decade of Ongoing Mass Administration of Medicines

“…All the adolescents who participated in the study had light-intensity infections of A. lumbricoides , T. trichiura and hookworm, which is consistent with previous reports [11–13, 31, 36]. The absence of heavy-intensity infection indicates a low transmission risk and could be attributed to the ongoing MAMs in the state.…”

“…Similar conclusions were reached by other studies, which also identified insufficient knowledge about STH infections as a factor associated with the occurrence of the infection [13,31,[40][41].…”

“…Adolescents who had no knowledge of STH had higher odds of being infected, than those who had some knowledge. Similar conclusions were reached by other studies, which also identified insufficient knowledge about STH infections as a factor associated with the occurrence of the infection [13, 31, 40–41]. This is because a lack of understanding about STH infections makes individuals more susceptible to infection since they are unaware of the factors that expose them to the infection.…”

“…Similarly, the likelihood of acquiring STH infection was higher among adolescents whose parents/guardians had attained primary education than those whose parents/guardians had no formal education, although the observed prevalence was lower in the primary group compared to the no formal education group. This is in contrast with the reports of [31, 45] but supports the argument of [40] who suggested that this may be due to parents spending more time on outdoor activities to provide for their families, resulting in less time spent with their children. As a result, adolescents may have poor personal and food hygiene and engage in outdoor activities that increase their risk of STH infection.…”

“…Studies show that most cases of helminthic infections in Africa occur in the form of co-infections rather than isolated infections due to common epidemiological factors that facilitate the spread of these diseases [31][32][33]. In this study, 16.5% of adolescents studied had multiple infections, which was higher compared to previous studies conducted in southern Nigeria [12,31,[34][35]. This is not surprising, especially in areas where helminth infections are endemic, as prolonged exposure increases the likelihood of acquiring multiple infections.…”