Prevalence and Management Strategies of Perceived Intestinal Parasitic Infections by Households in Imo State Nigeria

Abstract

BACKGROUND Intestinal parasitic infections (intestinal worms) are major public health problems, especially in developing countries. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and management strategy of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) employed by households. METHODOLOGY The study was carried out in Imo State, south-eastern Nigeria. Faecal samples from 1200 school children, aged 6-13 years were examined using the Kato Katz method and formol-ether concentration techniques. A structured and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data. The level of significance was set at P< 0.05. RESULTS The total prevalence of IPIs was 19.3%, which comprises eight parasites namely; Ascaris lumbricoides (3.4%), Trichuris trichiura (1.3%), hookworm (1.8%), Strongyloides stercoralis (0.2%), Taenia spp (0.5%), Entamoeba histolytica (5.3%), Entamoeba coli (3.7%), and Giardia lamblia (4.2%). There was high awareness of possible signs and symptoms of IPIs. Albendazole, Pyrantel pamoate and Mebendazole were the three most frequently used drugs and intermittent deworming with them was effective against the intestinal worm. The impact of deworming on the prevalence of intestinal worms was higher among children dewormed every 4 months, compared with other groups. Self-medication was a major practice amongst the study population. Households (33.9%) delayed up to 48 hours from the onset of symptoms before giving the child medical attention. The majority of households used plant extracts as alternative medication. CONCLUSION The management approaches in the study area were good although they did not regard IPIs as a serious public health problem for a growing child.