Prevalence of Soil Transmitted Parasites in Raw Vegetables of Kathmandu Valley and Stool Samples of School Children

Abstract

This study was carried out in vegetables and stool samples from June 2006 to July2007 to ascertain the prevalence of parasites. A total of 261 vegetable samples and315 stool samples of school children were collected from Kathmandu Valley. The stool samples were examined by formal-ether technique and direct smear technique.For vegetables, saturated brineflotation method was used. Out of total vegetable samples, 29.5% (77/261) were found to be contaminated with different parasites, Cyclosporaspp. being the most prevalent (28.4%, 74/261) . Thehigh rate of contamination was found in wet season (32.2%, 50/154) than dry season(25.2%, 27/107) (P>0.05). In school children, the overall prevalence rate of parasitic infections was 65.4%, helminth parasites being dominant. Trichuris trichiura(29.2%)was the most common helminth. The female children had the higher parasitic prevalence rate (68.3%, 122/178) than the male counterparts (61.3%, 84/137)(P>0.05). The prevalence of multiparasitism was 61.6% while that of monoparasitism was 38.4%. Indo-Aryans had significantly higher prevalence rate (66.3%, 67/101)followed byTibeto-Burmans(65.7%, 117/178) and Dalits(61.1%, 22/36) (P>0.05).The children without toilet at their home were more infected (79.5%, 58/73) than that of having toilet (61.2%, 148/242) (P<0.05). The children of farmers had higherprevalence rate (73.9%) than other occupation. The high prevalence of parasiticinfection (67.0%) was found in those children who had not taken anthelminthic drug in past six months compared to those who had taken the drugs (33.3%) (P<0.05). Thechildren without nail cut had the more prevalence (74.2%) of parasitic infection thanthose with nail cut (61.2%) (P<0.05). Key Words: Vegetables,Cyclospora, school children, Kathmandu.