Prevalence of malaria and intestinal helminth infections among junior secondary school students in Mbilla Ward, Mayo-Belwa Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Malaria and intestinal helminth infections are common health issues, especially among schoolchildren in many parts of the world. It is crucial to understand the extent of these infections in order to implement effective prevention and control measures. Fresh blood and stool samples were collected from six Junior secondary schools comprising of 351 students randomly selected (176 males and 175
Females) with age range 11-16 years. Stool samples were processed using saline wet mount techniques and microscopically examined for intestinal parasitic infections. Fresh blood was collected to determine the malaria parasite using the thick film method. A Chi-square statistical test was used to analyze the data collected. Out of the number examined for both malaria and intestinal helminth infections, 9(2.6%) had co-infection, with the highest rate observed among the bracket 13-14 years 5(1.4%), with males having higher prevalence rate of 3(3.8) compared to female counterpart with 2(2.9). The findings revealed that 83/351 (23.6%) had malaria infection comprising of 37/351 (10.5%) and 46/351(13.1%) for males and females respectively. It also revealed that 40/351 (11.4%) had intestinal helminth
infections comprising of 17/351 (9.7%) and 23/351(13.1%) for males and females respectively. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the prevalence of malaria and intestinal helminth infections among junior secondary school students in the study area