Author/Authors :
Akindele, Akeem Department of Community Medicine - Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo, Nigeria , Adegbayi, Adebola Department of Community Medicine - Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo, Nigeria , Adeyeba, Oluwaseyi Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology - Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo, Nigeria , Bolaji, Oloyede Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology - Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo, Nigeria , Adefioye, Olusegun Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology - Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo, Nigeria , Ojurongbe, Olusola Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology - Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo, Nigeria
Abstract :
BACKGROUND: Malaria and intestinal helminths are parasitic diseases causing high morbidity and mortality in most
tropical parts of the world, where climatic conditions and sanitation practices favor their prevalence. The aim of this
study was to determine the prevalence and possible impact of falciparum malaria and intestinal helminths co-infection
among school children in Kajola, Osun state, Nigeria.
METHODS: Fresh stool and blood samples were collected from 117 primary school children age range 4-15 years. The
stool samples were processed using both Kato-Katz and formol-ether concentration techniques and microscopically
examined for intestinal parasitic infections. Blood was collected by finger prick to determine malaria parasitemia using
thick film method; and packed cell volume (PCV) was determined by hematocrit. Univariate analysis and chi-square
statistical tests were used to analyze the data.
RESULTS: The prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum, intestinal helminth infections, and co-infection of malaria and
helminth in the study were 25.6%, 40.2% and 4.3%, respectively. Five species of intestinal helminths were recovered
from the stool samples and these were Ascaris lumbricoides (34.2%), hookworm (5.1%), Trichuris trichiura (2.6%),
Diphyllobothrium latum (0.9%) and Trichostrongylus species (0.9%). For the co-infection of both malaria and intestinal
helminths, females (5.9%) were more infected than males (2.0%) but the difference was not statistically significant
(p = 0.3978). Children who were infected with helminths were equally likely to be infected with malaria as children
without intestinal helminths [Risk Ratio (RR) = 0.7295]. Children with A. lumbricoides (RR = 1.359) were also likely
to be infected with P. falciparum as compared with uninfected children.
CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic falciparum malaria and intestinal helminth infections do co-exist without clinical symptoms
in school children in Nigeria.
Keywords :
Malaria , Helminth , Co-infection , Nigeria
