Intestinal parasitic infections of men in four regions of rural Kenya

Faecal samples were obtained from 906 men living in four different regions of rural Kenya: the cool Highlands, the humid coastal lowlands, the equatorial Lake Victoria basin and the arid marginal highlands. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections is reported and compared, contrasted and discussed in terms of the typical environmental conditions in each region. Almost 70% of men appeared to be infected with intestinal helminths; hookworm was most common. The regional prevalence of hookworm infections appeared to be related to relative humidity.