ABSTRACT

This study has examined the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites among children living in orphanage home in Umuahia North, Abia State, Nigeria. Universal stool sample bottles were distributed to the children in Daughter of Mercy Compassionate home, Ahiaeke, Umuahia North, Abia State, Nigeria for collection of their stool samples through the assistance of their caregivers. The parasitological techniques used were physiological saline and by formol-ether concentration technique. The stool specimens were also examined for adult worms and stool consistency. The presence or absence of blood was also noted. Of the 56 children examined, 21(37.50%) were positive with various gastrointestinal parasites. Five species of gastro-intestinal parasites were detected in the faecal samples of the children. The gastrointestinal parasites detected were eggs of Hookworm (14.29%), Ascaris lumbricoides (5.36%), Trichuris trichiura (1.79%), Entamoeba histolytica (8.93%) and Giardia intestinalis (7.14%). The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was not significant (P > 0.05) but was higher in females (23.21%) than in males (14.29%) with hookworm as the most prevalent (14.29%) among the children comprising 8.93% infection rate in females and 5.36% in males. This is followed by Entamoeba histolytica which registered a prevalence rate of 8.93% among the children with 5.36% in females and 3.57% in males. Children within 2-5 years of age were mostly infected (16.07%) as compared to children between 0-1 year of age who showed infection rate of 12.50% followed by children aged 6 years and above (8.93%).Children who are aged between 0-1 years showed negative for Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura parasites but showed positive for Hookworm and Giardia intestinalis parasites with the same prevalent rate (5.36%). In addition, there was a high prevalence of single infections (26.78%) among the children as compared to the prevalence of co-infection (5.36%) among the children examined. In conclusion, transmission of gastrointestinal parasites can occur during outdoor play on soil contaminated with infected faeces or through ingestion of helminth eggs/protozoan cysts in contaminated food, snacks, drinking contaminated water, eating with unwashed hands and the geophagus habit of children. Hence, it is recommended that routine examination of stool of all children within Ahiaeke community and beyond be carried out regularly in order to control the spread and contamination of gastrointestinal infection to the unaffected children.