INTESTINAL PARASITOSIS AMONG SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN OF COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF DHARAN

Abstract

Intestinal parasites are those which must have an intestinal life- cycle stage and usually attach in small and large intestine and produces traumatic damage in the intestinal villi. Parasitic infections caused by protozoa and helminths are the most common infections worldwide. The prevalence of parasitic infections varies with the level of sanitation andis highly prevalent among the general population in Nepal<. The present study was done to find out the prevalence of intestinal parasitosis among school going children of community school of Dharan. Total of 301 stool samples (< 16 years children) were randomly collected (all the students from class I-VIII) and examined for intestinal parasitosis from April to September 2018. The samples were collected in clean, dry and capped fitted container and were subjected to macroscopic examination for ova, cysts, adult parasites and/or segment of parasites. Samples were fixed in 10% formal-saline and parasites were examined microscopically after concentration by formal- ether sedimentation technique. The overall parasite positive was found to be 26 (8.64%) among 301 students. Parasitosis in male was higher 16 (61.54%) than in female 10 (38.46%). Only monoparasitic infection was found in this study. Altogether 4 species of parasites were detected of them Giardia lamblia was the most common parasites followed by Hymenolepsis nana, Ascaris lumbricoides and hookworm. Younger children aged (≤9 years) had marginally higher positive rate (8.82%) than in children aged (>9 years) that is (8.61%).The intestinal parasitosis was higher in the students using tap water 25(8.9%) than those using mineral water. There was higher rate of intestinal parasites in Janjati 18(12.5%) than other ethnic group. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was found to be lower in this study. In order to prevent this infection appropriate health education should be given to the students and their parents concerning disease transmission, personal hygiene and safe drinking water.