PREVALENCE OF PARASITIC INFECTIONS AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN BANGALORE

Intestinal parasitic infections continue to be a major threat to the health and socioeconomic wellbeing of infected people especially children in developing countries and have been an important cause of morbidity especially in children. The present study attempted to assess the prevalence of different intestinal parasitic infections in primary school children aged 6–12 years in a government primary school. It was a cross-sectional study including 258 primary school children, out of which 152 were boys and 106 were females. The stool samples were examined using normal saline, iodine preparation and formalinether sedimentation concentration technique. Out of the 258 subjects examined 69 (26.74%) had intestinal parasite infection. The prevalence of infection peaked in the age group of 6-8 years. Among the helminths, the prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides was highest (27.63%), followed by Trichuris trichiura (18.42%), Hymenolepsis nana (15.8%) and among the protozoans E. histolytica was the highest followed by Giardia. There is an urgent need to promote mass scale deworming programmes and health education about hygienic habits in schools to create awareness about health and hygiene.