WORM INFESTATION AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN SCHOOL CHILDREN OF DISTRICT ZHOB, BALOCHISTAN, PAKISTAN

Authors

  • Umair Ali Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology Rawalpindi
  • Iftekhar Yousaf Army Medical College Rawalpindi
  • Syed Hasan Danish Community Health Sciences Department, Ziauddin University, Karachi
  • Farah Ahmad Community Health Sciences Department, Ziauddin University, Karachi
  • Wafa Hassan Community Health Sciences Department, Ziauddin University, Karachi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69656/pjp.v12i1.417

Keywords:

Helminthiasis, Iron deficiency, anaemia, faeco-oral route

Abstract

Background: Worm infestation or ‘Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis’ (STH) is a global health problem affecting 3.5 billion people worldwide. STH is the commonest cause of iron deficiency anemia world over, affecting about 1.3 billion people with highest prevalence and morbidity in young children. Anemia in children is associated with growth retardation, delayed motor development, poor cognitive abilities and impaired immune response. The objective of this study was to determine frequency of worm infestation and its causal relationship with iron deficiency anemia and to evaluate factors associated with it. Methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted in district Zhob Balochistan from Apr 2014 to Dec 2014. Our study population was school going children selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. A structured questionnaire was administered. Results: Worm infestation was found in 30.6% students. Ascaris was found to be highest in frequency (15.3%) followed by Giardia (4.4%) and Hookworm (3.9%). Out of worm infested students, 87% were anaemic. Conclusion: Most of the children who were affected by worm infestation were anaemic.

Pak J Physiol 2016;12(1):18–21

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. World Health Organization. First WHO report on neglected tropical diseases. Available from: www.who.int/ neglected_diseases/2010report/en/
2. Luong TV. De-worming school children and hygiene intervention. Int J Environ Health Res 2003;13:S153–S159.
3. ShallyA, Bundy DAP, Lorenzo S. Helminthic infections. A clinical review. BMJ 2003;327:431–3.
4. Worldwide prevalence of anaemia 1993–2005. WHO Global Database on Anaemia.
5. World Health Organization. Report of the WHO/UNICEF/UNU Consultation on indicators and strategies for iron deficiency and anemia programmes. Geneva WHO 1994.
6. Tapiero H, Gate L, Tew KD. Iron: deficiencies and requirements. Biomed Pharmacother 2001;55:324–32.
7. Kappus KD, Lundgren RG, Juranek DD, Robert JM, Spencer HC. Intestinal parasitism in the United States: Update on a continuing problem. Am J Trop Med Hyg 1994;50:705–13.
8. Okyay P, Ertug S, Gultekin B, Onen O, Beser E. Intestinal parasites prevalence and related factors in school children, a western city sample. Turkey. BMC Public Health 2004;22(4):64.
9. Uma K, Suneeta K, Basavarajappa KG, Kumar CS, Vinod. Incidence of parasitic infestations in rural school children of age 5–12 years at Davangere District, Karnataka, Indian J Public Health Res Dev 2012;3(3):258–62.
10. Bilqees FM, Khan A, Ahmed A. A survey of intestinal protozoa and helminth parasites in Karachi. Pak J Med Res 1982;21:54–8.
11. Qureshi AH, Karamat KA, Qamer RH, Malik IA. Intestinal parasitic infestation in Rawalpindi/Islamabad area: A study of 12,640 stool samples. Pak J Pathol 1992;3:31–9.
12. Ansari MAR, Naru NA. Some incoming intestinal parasites of Lahore. Pak J Med Res 1968;7:13.
13. Ghauri AS, Alam M. The pattern of intestinal parasitic infestation in Sargodha area: A comparative study. Pak J Pathol 1992;3:99–101.
14. NishiuraH, Imai H, Nakao H, Tsukino H, Changezi MA, Hussain GA, et al. Ascaris lumbricoides among children in rural communities in the Northern Area of Pakistan: prevalence, intensity and associated socio-cultural and behavioural risk factor. Acta Trop 2002;83:223–31.
15. Ahmad AK, Malik B, Shaheen B, Yasmeen G, Dar JB, Mona AK, et al. Frequency of intestinal parasitic infestation in children 5–12 years of age in rural areas of Abbottabad. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad 2003;15(2):28–30.
16. Walana W, Tay SCK, Tetteh P, Ziem JB. Prevalence of intestinal protozoan infestation among primary school children in urban and peri-urban communities in Kumasi, Ghana. Sci J Public Health 2014;2(2):52–7.
17. An observation from the daily patient influx at the out-patients in Combined Military Hospital, Zhob.
18. Khan A, Sultana A, Dar AMK, Rashid H, Najmi SAA. A study of prevalence, distribution and risk factors of intestinal helmenthic infestation in district Bagh (Azad Kashmir). Pak Armed Forces Med J 2004;54:243–8.

Downloads

Published

31-03-2016

How to Cite

1.
Ali U, Yousaf I, Danish SH, Ahmad F, Hassan W. WORM INFESTATION AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN SCHOOL CHILDREN OF DISTRICT ZHOB, BALOCHISTAN, PAKISTAN. Pak J Phsyiol [Internet]. 2016 Mar. 31 [cited 2024 Nov. 23];12(1):18-21. Available from: https://pjp.pps.org.pk/index.php/PJP/article/view/417

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2016): Pakistan Journal of Physiology

Section

Original Article

License

Pakistan Journal of Physiology, Pak J Physiol, PJP is FREE for research and academic purposes. It can be freely downloaded and stored, printed, presented, projected, cited and quoted with full reference of, and acknowledgement to the author(s) and the PJP. The contents are published with an international CC-BY-ND-4.0 License.