Soil-transmitted helminthiasis among school age children in Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria

The prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminth infections and their relationship to anthropometric indices of 1,351 school children from Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria were evaluated. 739 (54.70%) of the subjects were infected by soil-transmitted helminths(STH). The overall prevalences by species were Ascaris lumbricoides (48.41%), hookworms (29.76%), and Trichuris trichiura (17.39%). 174 (12.88%) were infected with two or more STHs. Males (60.81%) were generally more infected than females (43.30%), but this was only statistically significant amongchildren aged 5 – 7 years. The mean number of eggs per gram of faeces (epg) was generally low. Analysis of epg for each species indicated that 7.8, 7.60 and 1.70% of the subjects had high intensity of infections for Ascaris, hookworms and Trichuris, respectively. There was no relationship between intensity of infections and wasting, while children with high intensity of infections were more stunted than others

Vitamin A status and ocular lesions in some rural Nigerians with onchocerciasis

The vitamin A and ocular lesions in 98 rural Nigerians who excreted microfilariae in their skin tissues and had at least one clinical manifestation of onchocerciasis were investigated. The highest prevalence rate of 18 (69.2%) occurred among adult males with leopard skin. The overall mean vitamin status of (20.3 ± 2.6 ìg/dl) was comparatively lower ( 2 = 41.0; p>0.05) than the control inhabitants (76.2.3 ± 3.8 ìg/dl). The mean vitamin status was higher among the infected children (22.7 ± 0.5 ìg/dl) than their adult counterparts (17.9 ± 6.1 ìg/dl). Also the mean vitamin A status of their infected children (22.7 ± 5.0 ìg/dl) was lower ( 2 = 31.1; p> 0.05) than their control subjects (73.5 ± 2.1 ìg/dl). The vitamin A status of the infected adults (17.9 ± 6.1 ìg/dl) was lower ( 2 = 47.2; p>0.05) than their control counterparts (78.9 ± 4.1ìg/dl). The mean microfilarial load of the different age groups of the infected volunteers showed negative correlation with the mean vitamin A status (r = -0.93). In all, five different ocular lesions namely cataract, optic atrophy, chroroidoretinitis, iriodocyclitis and sclerosing keratitis were reported. Visual impairment was absent and the ocular lesions were low among the children as they had only optic atrophy and sclerosing keratitis among the five different lesions encountered

Malaria and Helminth Co-infections in School and Preschool Children: A Cross-sectional Study in Magu district, north-Western Tanzania.

Malaria, schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminth infections (STH) are important parasitic infections in Sub-Saharan Africa where a significant proportion of people are exposed to co-infections of more than one parasite. In Tanzania, these infections are a major public health problem particularly in school and pre-school children. The current study investigated malaria and helminth co-infections and anaemia in school and pre-school children in Magu district, Tanzania. School and pre-school children were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Stool samples were examined for Schistosoma mansoni and STH infections using Kato Katz technique. Urine samples were examined for Schistosoma haematobium using the urine filtration method. Blood samples were examined for malaria parasites and haemoglobin concentrations using the Giemsa stain and Haemoque methods, respectively. Out of 1,546 children examined, 1,079 (69.8%) were infected with one or more parasites. Malaria-helminth co-infections were observed in 276 children (60% of all children with P. falciparum infection). Malaria parasites were significantly more prevalent in hookworm infected children than in hookworm free children (p = 0.046). However, this association was non-significant on multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR = 1.320, p = 0.064). Malaria parasite density decreased with increasing infection intensity of S. mansoni and with increasing number of co-infecting helminth species. Anaemia prevalence was 34.4% and was significantly associated with malaria infection, S. haematobium infection and with multiple parasite infections. Whereas S. mansoni infection was a significant predictor of malaria parasite density, P. falciparum and S. haematobium infections were significant predictors of anaemia. These findings suggest that multiple parasite infections are common in school and pre-school children in Magu district. Concurrent P. falciparum, S. mansoni and S. haematobium infections increase the risk of lower Hb levels and anaemia, which in turn calls for integrated disease control interventions. The associations between malaria and helminth infections detected in this study need further investigation

Relationship between intensity of urinary schistosomaisi and some haematological indices

No Abstract.Nigerian Quarterly Journal of Hospital Medicine Vol. 11(1-4) 2001: 16-1

Plasmodium/intestinal helminth co-infections among pregnant Nigerian women

Hospital based studies were conducted to investigate the occurrence of Plasmodium/intestinal helminth co-infections among pregnant Nigerian women, and their effects on birthweights, anaemia and spleen size. From 2,104 near-term pregnant women examined, 816 (38.8%) were found to be infected with malaria parasites. Among the 816 parasitaemic subjects, 394 (48.3%) were also infected with intestinal helminths, 102 (12.5%) having mixed helminth infections. The prevalence of the helminth species found in stool samples of parasitaemic subjects examined was, Ascaris lumbricoides (19.1%), hookworm (14.2%), Trichuris trichiura (7%) Schistosoma mansoni (3.4%), Enterobius vermicularis (2%), Hymenolepis sp. (1.6%) and Taenia sp. (1%). Mothers with Plasmodium infection but without intestinal helminth infection had neonates of higher mean birthweights than those presenting both Plasmodium and intestinal helminth infections and this effect was more pronounced in primigravids. The mean haemoglobin values of malarial mothers with intestinal helminth infections were lower than those with Plasmodium infection but without intestinal helminth infections but these were not statistically significant. Severe splenomegaly was predominant among parasitaemic gravidae who also harboured S. mansoni infection in two of the hospitals studied