Abstract:
A study on the intestinal parasites of under-fives was carried out in two adjacent
communities in Kandy, known as the Mahaiyyawa model tenements and the municipal
council (MC) lines. The objectives were firstly, to assess the prevalence of intestinal
parasites in this group of children and secondly, to evaluates some socioeconomic and
behavioural factors which may contribute towards the maintenance of these infections. The
overall prevalence of pathogenic protozoa was very low: two samples were positive for
giardia lamblia (0.7 per cent) and one for cryptosporidium oocysts(0.3 per cent.The overall
prevalence of geohelminths was 26.4 per cent.Ascaris lumbricoides was the predominant
helminth (23.8 per cent prevalence); trichuris trichiura was the next most common (7.2 per
cent).Mixed infections with A.lumbricoides and T.trichiura and/or hookworm was seen in
5.5 per cent. The age related prevalence was 10.3,27.3,23.2,37.7 and 33.3 per cent in the 0-
12, 13-24, 25-36, 37-48 and 49-60 month age groups respectively. The majority of both
roundworm and whipworm infections were mild (83.7 per cent and 91.7 per cent resp.); the
rest were of moderate intensity. All the hookworm infections (1.7 per cent prevalence) were
mild. Factors which were found to be significantly related to prevalence were the ethnic
group, the socioeconomic status and the level of maternal education. Prevalence was
significantly higher in the MC lines than in the model tenements (32.2 and 15.4 per cent
resp.) probably because of its predominantly Indian Tamil population. the lower
socioeconomic status and the low level of maternal education
