Recent patterns and risk factors of intestinal helminthes infection among school children in Kashmir , India

The WHO estimates that almost 2 billion people are infected with one or more of these soil transmitted helminths, accounting for up to 40% of the global morbidity from infectious diseases, excluding malaria. Out of these, approximately 300 million infections result in severe morbidity, which are associated with the heaviest worm burdens. In recent years much new information has been obtained about the epidemiology, population biology and public health significance of infections of intestinal helminths in humans. Purpose: The main purpose of the study was to show that not much has changed regarding helminthic infections in our country and they continue to be a serious contributor to disease and an important problem from a public health point of view. It is important that the Government designs and implements sustainable control programs aimed at reducing the morbidity associated with such infections. Method: Stool samples were collected from 396 children from Badgam District of Kashmir Valley. The samples were processed using Kato-Katz thick smear technique, and microscopically examined for intestinal parasites. Results: Of the 396 children surveyed, 58.08% had one or more types of intestinal helminthes. The predominant parasite involved was Ascaris lumbricoides (54.9%) followed by Trichuris trichuria (32.49%), Taenia saginata (9.06%), Enterobius vermacularis (2.57%) and Hymenolepis nana (2.05%). Conditions most frequently associated with infection included the river as water source, open defecation site andlack of personal hygiene. Conclusion: The study shows a relatively high prevalence of intestinal helminths and suggests that administrating a broad spectrum of anti-helminthic drugs to children at the primary school level may be a cost effective way of decreasing the burden of these infections.