The prevalence of intestinal parasites and associated risk factors in school-going children from informal settlements in Nakuru town, Kenya

• Published in: Malawi medical journal Vol. 32; no. 2
• Main Authors: Chege, Naomi M, Ondigo, Bartholomew N, Onyambu, Frank G, Kattam, Alex Maiyo, Lagat, Nancy, Irungu, Tabitha, Matey, Elizabeth Jemaiyo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: College of Medicine, University of Malawi and Medical Association of Malawi 28-11-2021
• Subjects: informal settlements; intestinal parasites; Prevalence; risk factors; school-children
• ISSN: 1995-7262

BackgroundIntestinal parasites are a major public health problem in the
developing world and have attracted increasing levels of interest from
health researchers over the past decade. Epidemiology-based studies
have shown that the prevalence of intestinal parasites is high and they
frequently recur in regions with poor sanitation and inadequate
sewerage facilities. In this study, we determined the prevalence of
intestinal parasites, their egg intensities per sample, and associated
risk factors in an informal settlement. Methods This was a
cross-sectional study conducted in three randomly selected public
primary schools located in the informal settlements of Nakuru town. A
total of 248 stool samples were collected from asymptomatic pupils and
screened, using the Kato Katz technique, for infections caused by
soil-transmitted helminths (STH). A random subset of stool samples
(n=96) was also screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect
intestinal protozoa. Socio-demographic variables were collected using a
pre-tested structured questionnaire; these data were analysed to
identify risk factors for infection. Results The overall prevalence of
intestinal parasites was 17.3% (43/248 pupils). The overall prevalence
of both STH and intestinal protozoan parasites was 1.2% and 41.7%,
respectively. The most commonly diagnosed STH infection was Trichuris
trichiura (1.2%), followed by hookworms (0.4%) and Ascaris lumbricoides
(0.4%). The prevalence of intestinal protozoan parasites ranged from 0%
to 38.5% and included Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba hartmanni,
Entamoeba dispar, Giardia intestinalis, and Entamoeba coli. All
infections were light, with an egg intensity <100 for each of the
STH infections. The prevalence of multiple infections, including
intestinal protozoan parasites, was 5.2% (n=5) and 0.4% (n=1) for STH
in the subset samples. Finally, our analysis identified several
significant risk factors for intestinal parasitic infections, including
goat rearing (p=0.046), living in a home with an earthen floor
(p=0.022), the number of rooms in the household (p=0.035), and the
source of food (p=0.016). Conclusion The low prevalence of intestinal
parasites in the informal settlements of Nakuru may be attributed to
improvements in hygiene and sanitation, deworming, and general good
health practices that are facilitated by the Department of Public
Health.