Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites in School Going Children at Damauli, Tanhun, Nepal

Abstract

Background: Having up-to-date information on the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) in different regions is required to develop appropriate control strategies. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in school going children in Damauli, Nepal. 

Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in Satyawati Higher Secondary School, Damauli between September 2016 and November 2016. A total of randomly selected 150 children were enrolled in the study. Information was collected on structured questionnaires and supplemented by macroscopic and microscopic examination of stool samples. 

Results: The prevalence of IPIs was found to be 36%. Of the 150 students, 84 (56%) were males and the participants were from ages 7 to 13 years. The commonest source of drinking water was municipality supply (80%), and filtration was the most frequently used method for water purification (62.7%). Ascaris lumbricoides was the most common parasite isolated on stool examination (50%). Younger children (7-10 years) had high IPI rate compared to the 11-13 years old. 

Conclusions: The study indicates that the parasitic diseases are still a significant health problem in Nepal. Environmental sanitation improvement and health education promotion at different levels of Tanhun district and empowering the health centre can be helpful for the prevention and control of parasitic infections in the area.