Abstract:
A cross sectional study was carried out between February and March 1998 in
Temeke district. The aim was to determine the prevalence and intensity of soil
transmitted helminths among primary school children aged 6 to 18 years and
related factors.
A simple random sampling method was used to select one primary school whereby
all school children in that school were supposed to participate in this study. Out of
350 school children of that school, 290 school children participated in the study
'while the remaining 60 children did not participate for some reasons. Stool samples
were collected and processed by modified Kato-Katz method to determine the egg
count. All children found with soil transmitted helminths were treated with
Albendazole and post-chemotherapy stools were collected over 48 hours and 72
hours to recover the expelled worms. The soil samples were taken from different
places and processed by Baermann techniques to determine the ova and filariform
larva of soil transmitted helminths. Questinnaires were administered to school
children and teachers to asses their hygiene and awareness of the geohelminths.
Data were analysed using SSPS and EPI-Info software.
Results showed that soil transmitted helminths are a health problem to school
children. The overall prevalence of A. lumbricoides was 4.1 % with a mean egg
count of 192 eggs per gramme of faeces and a mean worm burden of 4 worms per
111
child. The overall prevalence of hookworm was 22.4% with a mean egg count of
183 eggs per gramme of faeces and the mean WOIm burden of 13 worms per child.
The overall prevalence of T trichiura was 0.7% and that of S. stercolaris together
with E. vermicularis was 1.7%. The results of soil samples showed that 45% of 60
samples were found with geohelminths. Hand washing behaviour and wearing of
shoes had no association with the infection.
It was concluded that although each school child knew at least one mode of
transmission of soil transmitted helminths and prevention, the problem still remain
in school children because they are living with the risk factors of infection.
Therefore, it is recommended that the relevant authorities should have to find some
-rnechanism of reducing the geohelminths infection. It is also recommended to treat
all school children during dewonning programme without mind they are infected
or not infected with geohelminths .
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