COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE PREVALENCE OF INTESTINAL PARASITES AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN TUDUN-FULANI MODEL SCHOOL AND HASHA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL MINNA, NIGER STATE

Abstract

Intestinal parasitic infections remain an important public health problem in Nigeria causing diarrhoea and other health conditions. The method involved in collecting and processing of stool samples in agreement with standard parasitological technique. Stool samples collected were analyzed using formal ether concentration techniques (FECT). Two hundred and forty (240) stool samples from pupils age 6-14 years were examined from two schools, located in Bosso local Government area. Overall prevalence rate of 178(74.2%) were observed for various intestinal parasitic infection which included Ascaris lumbricoides 83(34.6%), which has the highest prevalence, Necator americanus 49(20.4%), Taenia saginata 22(9.2%), Entamoeba hystolytica 11(4.6%), Schizostoma mansoni 7(2.9%) and Fasciola gigantica 6(2.5%) with the least occurrence. Rate of infection was high among children of 6-8 and 9-11years of age. Overall infection rate was high among female children having higher prevalence than the males. Statistically, the result of the research showed a significant difference (P<0.05) based on sex of the pupils while based on age, the results showed no significant difference (P>0.05). The prevalence rate of infection recorded in this study could become higher in years to come and consequently become more threatening due to boost in birth rate and other socio-economic factors. The results of this study showed that pupils in both schools carry heavy intestinal parasitic infection burden which suggest prevailing unhygienic environment.