Rijal B, Oda Y, Basnet R, Rijal B, Parajuli K, Gurung C K, Sherchand J B
Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2001 Sep;32(3):575-80.
The study was conducted in rural school adolescent children to investigate the awareness and its association in parasitic infections in boys and girls. Of the 182 children examined 119 (65.3%) were male and 63 (34.6%) were female, age ranged 12-20 years with median age 15 years. Out of 182 stool samples examined 73 (40%) were found to be positive for parasites in which two or more parasites were found in 10 stool samples. Giardia lamblia 33 (18.1%) was the predominant parasite followed by hook worm 27 (14.8%) Entamoeba histolytica 13 (7.1%), Ascaris lumbricoides 05 (2.7%), Hyminolepis nana 02 (2.2%) and Trichuris trichiuria 01 (0.5%). Thirty-one (49.2%) in 63 females and 40 (33.6%) of the 119 males were positive for parasitic infections. The prevalence of worm infection was significantly higher in female children than male (p < or = 0.05). In contrast to the high parasitic prevalence rate in females they possessed significantly higher levels of awareness about parasitic infections. Out of 119 males 99 (83.2%) and 61 (96.8%) of the 63 females (p < or = 0.05) knew that worms suck food from host body. Similarly, 62.2% of males and 96.85 of females (p < or = 0.05) knew that parasites suck blood from human body. More study should be carried out to find out the gender difference in parasitic infection and level of exposure to risk factors.
