PREVALENCE OF INTESTINAL PARASITOSIS AMONG THE SCHOOL CHILDREN OF KALAIYA, BARA, NEPAL 

Abstract

Present study was conducted among the school children of Kalaiya, Bara, Nepal
to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections. The study reflects
the present scenario of intestinal parasitic infection and some of its pre-disposing
factors among school children of this region. The study was conducted from May
to November 2010. A total of 296 stool samples were collected; formalin fixed
and brought to Kathmandu. The laboratory examination was done at employing
formal-ether concentration technique. Overall prevalence of infection was found
to be 31.7%. No significant difference in infection rate among male (34.2%) and
female (25.5%) was observed (P>0.05). Prevalence of infection was higher
among the children above 10 years (35.7%) than those children aged 10 or less
than 10 years (28.8%). However, the difference was statistically not significant
(P>0.05). Prevalence of infection was higher in students whose parents were
involved in farming (39.2%) followed by labour (34.7%), service and business
(23.2% and 22.8%), respectively. Altogether ten species of parasite were detected.
Among the helminthes, hookworm (28.5%) topped the list followed by
Hymenolepis nana (22.8%), Trichuris trichiura (20.0%), Ascaris lumbricoides
(17.1%) and other. Of the protozoan parasites, Giardia lamblia (45.7%) was
followed by Entamoeba histolytica (44%), Entamoeba coli (10.1%). The
percentage of single parasitic infection was higher (89.4%) than multiple
parasitosis (10.6%).