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A community based prospective study was conducted among randomly selected 300 children aged less than five years selected from three camps of the police force in Khartoum from 534 households representing a total population of 4962 individuals. The study was planned to determine the prevalence and type of parasitic infestations and the related risk factors in that community. From the 300 children, 298 stools specimens were examined: 116 were positive for a single parasite, while samples from 15 children showed ova and cysts for two types of parasites giving a prevalence rate of 44%. The commonest infestations were Giardiasis (21.1%), Taeniasis (10.4%) and Enterobiasis (7.4%). Non pathogenic E. coli, E. histolytica and Taenia saginata were detected in 2.7%, 0.7% and 1.7% of stools specimen respectively. Children aged between 3 years and above were the most affected group and the infection rate was highest among the illiterate, overcrowded and large sized families. Malnourished children comprised 9.4% of the study group but there was no significant association between undernutrition and the overall prevalence of intestinal infestations, although Giardia lamblia significantly affected the undernourished group.Infection with intestinal parasites is a common problem among poor, urban populations in African countries and the Middle East. The authors assessed the prevalence of infection with intestinal parasites among children younger than five years old in an urban community in Khartoum and the factors involved. The community-based prospective study was conducted from March 1990 to February 1991. Soldiers and their families comprise a total of 25,400 individuals residing in ten camps in different areas of Khartoum. Each family has a two-room brick house with kitchen, piped water, and a pit latrine. Most families, however, have no refrigerator, so food is prepared daily and kept in covered containers. Drinking water is kept in large clay pots. 298 stool specimens were examined from 300 randomly selected children under five years old from three police force residential camps in Khartoum representing a total population of 4962 individuals. 116 of the samples were positive for a single parasite, while samples from 15 children showed ova and cysts for two types of parasites, giving a prevalence rate of 44%. The most common infections were giardiasis (21.1%), taeniasis (10.4%), and enterobiasis (7.4%). Nonpathogenic E. coli, E. histolytica, and Taenia saginata were detected in 2.7%, 0.7%, and 1.7% of stool specimens, respectively. Children aged 3 years and older were the most affected group, with the infection rate highest among the illiterate, overcrowded, and large-sized families. Malnourished children comprised 9.4% of the study group, but no significant association was found between undernutrition and the overall prevalence of intestinal infestations, although Giardia lamblia significantly affected the undernourished group. |
