Examination of Fingernail Contents and Stool for Ova, Cyst and Larva of Intestinal Parasites from Food Handlers Working in Student Cafeterias in three Higher Institutions in Jimma

Abstract

Background: A prerequisite for the most practical and economic control and prevention measures of intestinal parasites is to have a clear understanding of their mode of transmission and epidemiology. Food handlers with poor personal hygiene working in food serving establishments could be potential sources of infections by many of the intestinal helminths and protozoa. The objective of this study was to determine the level of fingernail contamination with stages of parasites as a contribution of the hand-tomouth route in the transmission of intestinal parasites. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of food-handlers working in student cafeteria in three higher educational institutions in Jimma town i.e., Jimma University (the former Jimma Institute of Health Sciences and Jimma College of Agriculture), and Jimma Teachers’ Training College, was conducted to determine the level of finger nail contamination with ova, larvae and cysts of parasites and stool from November 1 to December 1, 1997. One hundred and one food-handlers working in the three cafeterias during the study period were included in the study. From the study subjects finger nail contents of both hands and stool specimens were examined by direct microscopic examination using normal saline and iodine solution. Results: Out of the 101 finger nail content specimens, 11 (10.9%) were positive for one or more parasites. The parasites identified were Ascaris lumbericoides, Taenia species, Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica. Of the 101 of the stool specimens examined 59(58.4%) were positive for any one parasite and multiple infections were identified in 17.8% of the positive cases. A. lumbricoides 24(23.8%) was found to be the most prevalent parasite followed by Trichuris trichuria 17(16.8%), E. histolytica,10 (9.9%), Hookworm species, 3 (2.9%), Taenia species, 3 (2.9%), and G. lamblia, 2 (1.9%). Further analysis showed that there was no statistically significance difference between the findings in the three institutions (P>0.05). Conclusion: Results from such studies may contribute in identifying the factors involved in the hand-to-moth transmission of parasites and in breaking the chain of transmission by recommending the implementation of such simple preventive and control measures including proper personal hygiene, regular medical check up of food handlers, regular trimming of fingernails and health education.

Ethiop J Health Sci Vol. 11, No. 2 July 2001