Prevalence of Soil Transmitted Helminthes Among Primary School Children in Orlu Imo State, Nigeria

The prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Nigeria's Orlu Imo State elementary schools was investigated in this study from February 2022 to April 2024. The cross-sectional survey and experimental analysis were the study designs used in this investigation. A total of 750 students were recruited from fifteen primary schools that were chosen at random. They included students from Primary 3, 4, and 5 classrooms, and their ages ranged from 9 to 16. After receiving sufficient training, participants' stool samples were taken every four weeks using a sterile specimen vial. The stool samples were collected, kept with 10% formalin, and processed within 48 hours of collection at the Parasitological Unit, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Umuna Orlu, Imo State. Frequency and percentage tables, together with ANOVA, were used to enter and analyse the data. The results showed that men participated more than women (420, 56.0%), and that the biggest number of participants were between the ages of 15 and 16 (300, 40.0%), as were those in class 5. There was equal participation from 250 (33.3%) urban, suburban, and rural schools. A total of 404 (53.9%) STHs infections were found in the study, with 112 (44.8%) occurring in urban areas, 126 (50.4%) in suburban areas, and 166 (66.4%) in rural areas. The infection prevalence was higher in males (59.2%), the infection rate decreased with age, and the infection prevalence was higher in children whose parents were farmers (32.2%) and those who lived in mud-plastered or earthen homes (69.3%). In the study, Ascaris lumbricoide (39.1%) and hookworm (41.8%) were more common. Significantly high infection rates were found in the investigated schools.