Prevalence of <i>Entamoeba histolytica</i> and <i>Entamoeba dispar</i> among School Children in Jos North L.G.A., Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

Diarrhoea is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries because of lack of safe portable water and low level of hygiene due to high level of poverty. histolytica and Entamoeba dispar are some of the protozoans organisms that cause diarrhoea. This study was therefore conducted to determine the prevalence of E. histolytica/ E. dispar among some selected school children in Jos, the capital of Plateau State. Three hundred and eighteen (318) children were each examined on three occasions between March and July 2008. This consisted of 149 males and 169 females. Forty nine children had watery stool in at least one of the three samples collected, while 269 had soft stools. Stool samples were examined for trophozoites in watery stool and for cyst in formed stool using light microscope. Fifty four (54) (17.0 %) of the children were infected with E. histolytica / E . dispar. The highest prevalence 21 (42.9 %), 12 (31.5 %), 24 (36.4%), and 24 (36.4 %) were recorded among children who had watery stools, fetched water from the steams, of ages two to four and Nursery school level respectively. Prevalence of E. Histolytica/E. dispar varied significantly with the type of stool, age and level of education ( P< 0.01, 0.05, 0.01). No significant difference (P> 0.05) was observed between prevalence and sources of drinking water and sex. Health education and the practice of hygiene in schools should be encouraged to curtail the epidemiology of the disease.

Keywords: Prevalence, E. histolytica/ E. dispar, diarrhoea, school children, hygiene

Nigerian Journal of Parasitology, Vol. 33 [1] March 2012, pp. 77-83