A COPROLOGICAL SURVEY OF GEOHELMINTH INFECTIONS AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN IN RURAL EBONYI STATE, NIGERIA

A cross-sectional coprological survey involving 420 primary school pupils of both sexes aged 6-14 years, was conducted in 8 primary schools at different locations in Ishielu Local Government Area (L.G.A.) of Ebonyi State, Nigeria, to determine the prevalence and intensity of infection of the geohelminth (soil-transmitted helminth) parasites. The dominant geohelminth parasites identified were Ascaris lumbricoides (32.9%), Trichuris trichiura (20.5%), and hookworms (3.8%). Altogether 240 respondents composed of 124 (29.4%) males and 116 (27.6%) females were infected with one or more of the parasites thus establishing an overall prevalence of 57.1%. In 7/8 (87.5%) of the study primary schools, over 50% of the children harboured the ova of the parasites. The distribution of the infections were not gender-dependent, and the between-sex prevalence was not statistically significant (p \u003e 0.05). The prevalence of the infections appeared to be generally age-dependent but not over- dispersed as there was a marked association between age of the pupil and the infectious process. Concomitant infection involving 13.3% of all the infected pupils was recorded. Generally, the intensity of the geohelminthiasis was of the light category for A. lumbricoides ( \u003c 4999 eggs per gram faecal matter(epg); T trichiura ( \u003c 999 epg); and hookworm ( \u003c 999 epg). Moderate infections (1000 – 9999 epg) of trichiuriasis was recorded in all the study schools. A deworming programme of the infected schools and the at–risk population is recommended.