A Study on Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis in Kathmandu Valley

Abstract

The study was done in soil and stool samples collected during the period ofAugust 2005 to July 2006 in Kathmandu Valley. 200soil samples and 1504 stoolsamples (188 school children and 1316 patients) were collected. The samples wereexamined using flotation technique, formal-ether sedimentation technique anddirect smear technique. Overall 28.5% of soil samples were found to becontaminated with eggs and larvaeof helminth parasites.Ascaris lumbricoides (56.1%) was found to be the mostpredominant soil transmitted helminth parasite in soil. The prevalence of parasiteswas found higher in wet season (June-September) (30.0%) thanthat in dry season(November-April) (25.5%) (P>0.05). In school children, the overall prevalence rate of parasitic infections was 48.4%,helminth parasitic infections being dominant. Trichuris trichiura(53.7%) wasmost frequently detected parasite. The prevalence of parasitic infections amongfemale was higher (51.7%) compare to male (45.5%) (P>0.05). Dalits(88.9%)were highly infected with parasites than counter social groups like Tibeto-Burmans(48.5%) andIndo-Aryans(37.3%) (P<0.05). The children from farmingfamily had higher prevalence rate (71.4%) (P<0.05). Parasitic infection rate wasfound significantly lower (40.9%) among children who had taken antihelminthicdrugs within last 6 months compared to children who had not (57.8%) (P<0.05).The children studying in private school had significantly lower (33.9%) parasiticinfestations than those studying in public school (67.0%) (P<0.05). In the hospital patients, the prevalence of parasitic infections was found to be30.0%,Entamoeba histolytica(38.3%) being the commonest. Among helminthparasites, A.lumbricoides (3.3%) was frequently detected. Protozoanparasites were dominant in hospital patients. The female patients were moreinfected (34.0%) than male patients (27.5%) (P<0.05).