Prevalence of Human Intestinal Helminth Parasites among Undergraduate Students at the off Campus (North Gate Area), Federal University of Technology, Akure (Futa), Nigeria

Ebenezer Oluyemi Dada, Christiana Eleojo Aruwa^*

Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria.

DOI: 10.4236/oalib.1101399                

Abstract

Studies have shown that soil-transmitted helminth infections are widely distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics. Poor sanitation is a major factor in the spread of intestinal helminth parasites. Hence, a study was carried out from July to September 2014, to determine the prevalence of intestinal helminth parasites among undergraduate students at North Gate, FUTA. A total of two hundred (200) stool samples were collected randomly from both males and females. Faecal samples were analyzed using the formol-ether sedimentation and concentration method. Parasites encountered by prevalence were Taenia spp. (13.5%), Ascaris lumbricoides (6.5%), Enterobius vermicularis (2%), Strongyloides stercoralis (6%), Trichuris trichiura (5%), Schistosoma mansoni (3.5%) and Hookworm species (8%). Formol-ether concentration technique was used to analyze the stool samples. The overall infection rate was 89 (44.5%). The study showed that infections were more prevalent among males. The highest prevalence of infections was recorded among the age group of 19 - 22 years (21%) in both sexes, and least infection rate in the age group of 27 - 30 years (1.0%). The highest prevalence of infection was observed with students who made use of pit latrine (22%), compared with students who made use of bush system (7.5%). Prevalence for users of water closet was 11%. On the basis of the type of toilet system, the bucket system showed the least prevalence of 4%. Prevalence of helminth parasite infection was the highest among students using pipe borne water (22%) system as source of water, compared with users of stream/pond/ river water source, which had the least prevalence (3.5%). The study showed that there was a need to encourage the practice of good personal hygiene and sanitation. The health implication of low level of hygiene and faecal pollution of the environment related to prevalence is discussed.

Keywords

Intestinal Helminths, Parasites, Stool, Prevalence, Infections, Health

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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