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Intestinal parasitic infestation among children in a semi-urban Indian population

Dakshina Bisht1, Ajay K Verma, Hari Har Deep Bharadwaj

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Santosh Medical College & Hospital, Ghaziabad, India.

Tropical Parasitology
|March 20, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Intestinal parasitic infestations affect 38% of children in this semi-urban area. Key protozoa include Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia, with Ascaris lumbricoides and Hymenolepis nana as common helminths.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Parasitology
  • Public Health
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Understanding the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infestations is crucial for assessing disease burden.
  • Geographic-specific surveys are essential for accurate understanding of parasitic causes.
  • This study focused on a semi-urban area to determine infestation rates in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infestations among children.
  • To identify specific protozoan and helminthic parasites in the study population.
  • To provide data for developing control strategies in semi-urban settings.

Main Methods:

  • Microscopic examination of 335 collected stool samples.
  • Processing and analysis for the presence of intestinal parasite ova and cysts.
  • Quantitative and qualitative assessment of identified parasites.

Main Results:

  • A significant prevalence of 38% (128/335) for intestinal parasitic ova/cysts was observed.
  • Multiple parasite infections were present in 32.8% (42/128) of positive samples.
  • Entamoeba histolytica (55.3%) and Giardia lamblia (40.4%) were the most prevalent protozoa, while Ascaris lumbricoides and Hymenolepis nana (24.2%) were the most common helminths.

Conclusions:

  • Intestinal parasitic infestations are linked to poor hygiene, sanitation, and toilet usage.
  • Illiteracy in the population may contribute to the spread of these infections.
  • Regular surveys are recommended for effective control measure development.
Abstract

Keywords:
Diarrheaintestinal parasitessemi-urban population

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