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  • Title: Age and sex graded helminth infections in a Nigerian village.
    Author: Arinola O, Fawole O.
    Journal: East Afr Med J; 1995 Feb; 72(2):110-2. PubMed ID: 7796748.
    Abstract:
    Prevalence of helminth parasites was carried out in both male and female villagers graded into three age groups (5-14 years, 15-25 years, 26-55 years). Children between 5 and 14 years of age had the highest prevalence of Ascaris, Schistosoma haematobium and Trichuris while the villagers between 26-55 years of age had lowest prevalence of these parasites. However, hookworms were highly common among the villagers aged between 26 and 55 years and least common among the school children aged between 5 and 14 years. Female children between the ages of 5 and 14 years and males of the same age group were highly infested with Ascaris and Trichuris. This finding in a Nigerian village suggested that helminth infestation is age and sex dependent which is therefore a factor of the frequency in host-parasite contact determined by mode of life of the parasites and the hosts. Cases of Schistosoma haematobium, the dominant form of human schistosomiasis in Nigeria, are frequently encountered in schools and hospitals in various parts of the country. The infection is acquired from water containing cercariae which develop in snails and subsequently penetrate human skin. The eggs of S. haematobium leave the human body mainly in urine. Ascaris is acquired by ingestion of infective embryonated ova, while Trichuris is acquired by infestation of embryonated ova and may cause diarrhea, dysentery, and occasionally rectal prolapse. Endemic helminth infestation in rural populations poses a great threat to public health in developing countries. In light of the paucity of information on the distribution of these parasites in most areas amid general concern that the parasites may be increasing in both prevalence and distribution, especially in remote and poorly accessible rural communities, the authors set out to determine the incidence and prevalence of Ascaris, S. haematobium, and Trichuris among males and females of different age groups in Iroko village, Oyo state, Nigeria. The prevalence of helminth parasites was determined through the analysis of stool and urine samples randomly collected from people who had lived in the village for at least one year. Children aged 5-14 years had the highest prevalence of Ascaris, S. haematobium, and Trichuris, while villagers aged 26-55 years had the lowest prevalence of these parasites. Hookworms, however, were highly common among villagers aged 26-55 years and least common among subjects aged 5-14. The high level of Ascaris and Trichuris infestation among males and females aged 5-14 years suggests that helminth infestation is age, sex, and behavior dependent with regard to the frequency of host-parasite contact.
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