Direct Microscopy of Stool Samples for Determining the Prevalence of Soil-Transmitted Helminthic Infections among Primary School Children in Kaduwela MOH Area of Sri Lanka following Floods in 2016

Abstract

A descriptive cross-sectional school based study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of soil-transmitted intestinal helminthsandtheassociatedfactorsamongschoolchildreninKaduwelaMedicalOfficerofHealth(MOH)areaintheColombo district,whichwasaffectedbyfloodsin2016.Thestudywasconductedin9selectedschoolsinKaduwelaMOHareafromSeptember 2016 to March 2017. Permission was obtained from the relevant authorities. Grade 1 students were enrolled in the study after obtaining informed written consent from their parents/guardian. Interviewer based questionnaire was administered to gather demographic data and other relevant information. Stool samples were collected and examined by direct wet saline smear. Study populationcomprised53.4%malestudents.Noneofstoolsampleswerepositiveforsoil-transmittedhelminthsbut17.4%ofstudents complained of nocturnal itching and parents of 23% of them had seen worms passing out from their children’s anus at night. Fourteen stool samples were found to be positive for cyst of Entamoeba coli. Majorityof parents (69%) stated that their children alwayswashtheirhandswithsoapandwaterbeforemeals,whereas26%statedthattheirchildrenpracticethissometimes.Majority ofstudents(88%)washedtheirhandsaftergoingtothetoilet.Almostallstudents(86%)usedwatersealedtoiletsandveryfewused pit latrines (14%). In this study, 67% of students had received anti-helminthic drugs after the floods. These findings suggest that zero prevalence of helminthic infections could be due to anti-helminthic prophylaxis and good health practices. Further studies shouldbedoneinthisareawithalargesamplesizetoinvestigatethetrueprevalenceofhelminthicinfections.Studentsandparents shouldbeeducatedonEnterobiusvermicularisinfection.Thesourceofwatersupplyshouldbetestedforfecalcontamination