Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

High prevalence of intestinal helminthic infection among children under 5 years in a rural Ghanaian community: an urgent call for attention

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Parasitic Diseases Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Intestinal parasitic infections presents a significant public health concern in developing countries. The study determined the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection of children under 5 years. A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted at Dodi Papase, a town in the Kadjebi district of the Oti region of Ghana. Stool samples were collected from 152 children under 5 years and examined for the presence of intestinal parasites using Kato–Katz technique. Additionally, venous blood samples were collected from participants into EDTA tubes and analyzed for their hemoglobin concentration using the Sysmex XS-500i automated hematology analyzer All laboratory analyses were done at the Ho Teaching Hospital Laboratory. Overall prevalence of intestinal helminthic infections was 44.08% (67/152). Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and Hookworm recorded 20.39%, 10.53% and 13.16% prevalence respectively. Children aged 4 years recorded the highest prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections vis-à-vis 50.00% A. lumbricoides and 37.50% Hookworm while children below age 2 years recorded the lowest. T. trichiura infection was highest among children below age 2 years (44.44%) and lowest among children aged 4 years. This study recorded an overall parasitic infections of 44.08%. This therefore calls for periodic screening, anti-helminthic treatment of these children as well as intensified education on attitudinal/behavioral change on improved personal and environmental hygiene in order to help control the menace of intestinal parasitic infections.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alwabr GM, Al-Moayed EE (2016) Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among school children of Al-Mahweet Governorate, Yemen. Eur J Biol Res 6(2):64–73

    Google Scholar 

  • Ayeh-Kumi PF, Addo-Osafo K, Attah SK, Tetteh-Quarcoo PB, Obeng-Nkrumah N, Awuah-Mensah G et al (2016) Malaria, helminths and malnutrition: a cross-sectional survey of school children in the South-Tongu district of Ghana. BMC Res Notes 9(1):242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ayeh-Kumi PF, Nti SA, Duedu KO, Addo-Osafo K, Obeng AS, Mortu S, Obeng Nkrumah N. et al (2009) Intestinal Parasitosis among pregnant women in Accra, Ghana. Ghana J Allied Health Sci, pp 9–14

  • Bechir M, Schelling E, Hamit MA, Tanner M, Zinsstag J (2012) Parasitic infections, anemia and malnutrition among rural settled and mobile pastoralist mothers and their children in Chad. EcoHealth 9(2):122–131. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-011-0727-5

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cheesbrough M (2006) District laboratory practice in tropical countries, part 2. Cambridge university press

  • Hassen Amer O, Ashankyty IM, Haouas NAS (2016) Prevalence of intestinal parasite infections among patients in local public hospitals of Hail, Northwestern Saudi Arabia. Asian Pac J Trop Med 9(1):44–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apjtm.2015.12.009

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mirisho R, Neizer M, Sarfo B (2017) Prevalence of intestinal helminths infestation in children attending Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital in Accra, Ghana. J Parasitol Res 2017:1–7. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/8524985

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mumtaz S, Siddiqui H, Ashfaq T (2009) Frequency and risk factors for intestinal parasitic infection in children under five years age at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi. J Pak Med Assoc 87:32

    Google Scholar 

  • Nkrumah B, Nguah SB (2011) Giardia lamblia: a major parasitic cause of childhood diarrhoea in patients attending a district hospital in Ghana. Parasite Vector 4(1):163. https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-4-163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nyantekyi LA, Legesse M, Belay M, Tadesse K, Manaye K, Macias C et al (2010) Intestinal parasitic infections among under-five children and maternal awareness about the infections in Shesha Kekele, Wondo Genet, Southern Ethiopia. Ethiop J Health Dev. https://doi.org/10.4314/ejhd.v24i3.68383

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Obeng A, Arthur I, Olu-Taiwo M, Glover K, Pappoe-Ashong P, Ayeh-Kumi P (2017) Intestinal parasitic infections and risk factors: a cross-sectional survey of some school children in a suburb in Accra, Ghana. BMC Res Notes. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-017-2802-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oliveira D, Ferreira FS, Atouguia J, Fortes F, Guerra A, Centeno-Lima S (2015) Infection by intestinal parasites, stunting and anemia in school-aged children from southern Angola. PLoS ONE 10(9):e0137327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Opara KN, Udoidung NI, Opara DC, Okon OE, Edosomwan EU, Udoh AJ (2012) The impact of intestinal parasitic infections on the nutritional status of rural and urban school-aged children in Nigeria. Int J MCH AIDS 1(1):73–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarkari B, Hosseini G, Motazedian MH, Fararouei M, Moshfe A (2016) Prevalence and risk factors of intestinal protozoan infections: a population-based study in rural areas of Boyer-Ahmad District, Southwestern Iran. BMC Infect Dis 16(1):703. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-016-2047-4

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Taheri F, Namakin K, Zarban A, Sharifzadeh G (2011) Intestinal parasitic infection among school children in South Khorasan Province, Iran. J Res Health Sci 11(1):45–50

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tarafder M, Carabin H, Joseph L, Balolong E Jr, Olveda R, McGarvey S (2010) Estimating the sensitivity and specificity of Kato–Katz stool examination technique for detection of hookworms, Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura infections in humans in the absence of a ‘gold standard’. Int J Parasitol 40(4):399–404

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tine RCK, Faye B, Ndour CT, Sylla K, Sow D, Ndiaye M et al (2013) Parasitic infections among children under five years in senegal: prevalence and effect on anaemia and nutritional status. ISRN Parasitol 2013:272701. https://doi.org/10.5402/2013/272701

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Walana W, Aidoo ENK, Tay SCK (2014a) Prevalence of hookworm infection: a retrospective study in Kumasi. Asian Pac J Trop Med 4:S158–S161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walana W, Tay SCK, Tetteh P, Ziem JB (2014b) Prevalence of intestinal protozoan infestation among primary school children in urban and peri-urban communities in Kumasi, Ghana. Sci J Public Health 2:52–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WHO (1994) Bench aids for the diagnosis of intestinal parasites. World Health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Yadav K, Prakash S (2016) Study on intestinal parasitic infections in Muslim community of Janakpurdham, Nepal. Janaki Med Coll J Med Sci 4(1):36–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We express our appreciation to the parents of the participants, the community leaders of Dodi Papase and staff of the Ho Teaching Hospital for their support in this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana

    Albert Abaka-Yawson, Daniel Senoo, Esther Akoto Aboagye, Solomon Quarshie Sosu & Precious Kwablah Kwadzokpui

  2. Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana

    Christian Hotorvi

  3. Department of Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicine, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana

    Philip Apraku Tawiah

Authors
  1. Albert Abaka-Yawson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daniel Senoo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Esther Akoto Aboagye
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Christian Hotorvi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Philip Apraku Tawiah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Solomon Quarshie Sosu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Precious Kwablah Kwadzokpui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Albert Abaka-Yawson.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Abaka-Yawson, A., Senoo, D., Aboagye, E.A. et al. High prevalence of intestinal helminthic infection among children under 5 years in a rural Ghanaian community: an urgent call for attention. J Parasit Dis 44, 625–632 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-020-01239-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-020-01239-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation