Webuye Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems Baseline Survey of Soil-Transmitted Helminths and Intestinal Protozoa among Children up to Five Years

Background. The intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are globally endemic, and they constitute the greatest cause of illness and disease worldwide. Transmission of IPIs occurs as a result of inadequate sanitation, inaccessibility to potable water, and poor living conditions. Objectives. To determi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Tropical Medicine
Main Authors: A. A. Obala, C. J. Simiyu, D. O. Odhiambo, V. Nanyu, P. Chege, R. Downing, E. Mwaliko, A. W. Mwangi, D. Menya, D. Chelagat, H. D. N. Nyamogoba, P. O. Ayuo, W. P. O'Meara, M. Twagirumukiza, D. Vandenbroek, B. B. O. Otsyula, J. de Maeseneer
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2013
Subjects:
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Arctic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/734562
https://doaj.org/article/8841cdffa1b048308433ccb75258cc5a
Description
Summary:Background. The intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are globally endemic, and they constitute the greatest cause of illness and disease worldwide. Transmission of IPIs occurs as a result of inadequate sanitation, inaccessibility to potable water, and poor living conditions. Objectives. To determine a baseline prevalence of IPIs among children of five years and below at Webuye Health and Demographic Surveillance (HDSS) area in western Kenya. Methods. Cross-sectional survey was used to collect data. Direct saline and formal-ether-sedimentation techniques were used to process the specimens. Descriptive and inferential statistics such as Chi-square statistics were used to analyze the data. Results. A prevalence of 52.3% (417/797) was obtained with the male child slightly more infected than the female (53.5% versus 51%), but this was not significant (χ2=0.482, P>0.05). Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica were the most common pathogenic IPIs with a prevalence of 26.1% (208/797) and 11.2% (89/797), respectively. Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) were less common with a prevalence of 4.8% (38/797), 3.8% (30/797), and 0.13% (1/797) for Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworms, and Trichuris trichiura, respectively. Conclusions. Giardia lamblia and E. histolytica were the most prevalent pathogenic intestinal protozoa, while STHs were less common. Community-based health promotion techniques are recommended for controlling these parasites.

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