1. Webuye Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems Baseline Survey of Soil-Transmitted Helminths and Intestinal Protozoa among Children up to Five Years.
- Author
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Obala, A. A., Simiyu, C. J., Odhiambo, D. O., Nanyu, V., Chege, P., Downing, R., Mwaliko, E., Mwangi, A. W., Menya, D., Chelagat, D., Nyamogoba, H. D. N., Ayuo, P. O., O'Meara, W. P., Twagirumukiza, M., Vandenbroek, D., Otsyula, B. B. O., and de Maeseneer, J.
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INTESTINAL parasites ,HELMINTHIASIS ,PROTOZOAN diseases ,TRANSMISSION of parasitic diseases ,JUVENILE diseases ,DISEASE prevalence ,DEMOGRAPHIC surveys - Abstract
Background. The intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are globally endemic, and they constitute the greatest cause of illness and disease worldwide. Transmission of IPIs occurs as a result of inadequate sanitation, inaccessibility to potable water, and poor living conditions. Objectives. To determine a baseline prevalence of IPIs among children of five years and below at Webuye Health and Demographic Surveillance (HDSS) area in western Kenya. Methods. Cross-sectional survey was used to collect data. Direct saline and formal-ether-sedimentation techniques were used to process the specimens. Descriptive and inferential statistics such as Chi-square statistics were used to analyze the data. Results. A prevalence of 52.3% (417/797) was obtained with the male child slightly more infected than the female (53.5% versus 51%), but this was not significant (χ
2 = 0.482, P > 0.05). Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica were the most common pathogenic IPIs with a prevalence of 26.1% (208/797) and 11.2% (89/797), respectively. Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) were less common with a prevalence of 4.8% (38/797), 3.8% (30/797), and 0.13% (1/797) for Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworms, and Trichuris trichiura, respectively. Conclusions. Giardia lamblia and E. histolytica were the most prevalent pathogenic intestinal protozoa, while STHs were less common. Community-based health promotion techniques are recommended for controlling these parasites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2013
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