Mbuh J V, Nembu N E
Department of Plant and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Cameroon.
J Helminthol. 2013 Mar;87(1):46-51. doi: 10.1017/S0022149X12000016. Epub 2012 Jan 25.
Intestinal helminth infections and malnutrition constitute a major health burden in developing countries, with infants and children being the most vulnerable groups. The extent of the burden of intestinal helminth infections and malnutrition was investigated in a cross-sectional study involving 265 children aged between 4 and 14 years residing in Dibanda, a semi-rural area located in Buea, South West Region, Cameroon. The prevalence of intestinal helminth infections was determined microscopically after faecal samples were prepared by the formol-ether sedimentation concentration technique of stool analysis. Nutritional status was determined using age and the anthropometric parameters of weight and height. Standard deviation (SD) or Z scores of height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-age (WAZ) and weight-for-height (WHZ) were computed based on the World Health Organization 2006 growth reference curves. Anaemia was assessed by packed cell volume (PCV). The prevalence of intestinal helminth infection in the study population was 47.2% (125/265). All infections were of low intensity, with Ascaris recording the highest geometric mean egg count (GMEC) ± SEM of 363.51 ± 60.35 (egg count range: 76-3000 eggs/gram of stool). Overall, 42.3% of children had PCV < 31%. Also, 47.2% of those with intestinal helminth infections also had PCV < 31%. The prevalence of malnutrition was 30.2% (80/265). Of 80 malnourished children, 5.3% were wasted ( < - 2SD weight-for-height Z-score), 7.2% underweight ( < - 2SD weight-for-age Z score) and 24.2% stunted ( < - 2SD height-for-age Z score). The mean values of all the anthropometric indices were lower in helminth-infected children. Findings from this study are strongly suggestive that intestinal helminth infections and malnutrition exist in children residing in Dibanda and constitute a major health problem that needs to be addressed immediately to reduce morbidity and mortality.
肠道蠕虫感染和营养不良是发展中国家的主要健康负担，婴幼儿和儿童是最脆弱的群体。在一项横断面研究中，对喀麦隆西南地区布埃亚一个半农村地区迪班达的265名4至14岁儿童进行了调查，以了解肠道蠕虫感染和营养不良的负担程度。采用粪便分析的甲醛 - 乙醚沉淀浓缩技术制备粪便样本后，通过显微镜检查确定肠道蠕虫感染的患病率。使用年龄以及体重和身高的人体测量参数来确定营养状况。根据世界卫生组织2006年生长参考曲线计算年龄别身高（HAZ）、年龄别体重（WAZ）和身高别体重（WHZ）的标准差（SD）或Z评分。通过红细胞压积（PCV）评估贫血情况。研究人群中肠道蠕虫感染的患病率为47.2%（125/265）。所有感染强度均较低，蛔虫的几何平均虫卵计数（GMEC）±标准误最高，为363.51±60.35（虫卵计数范围：76 - 3000个虫卵/克粪便）。总体而言，42.3%的儿童红细胞压积<31%。此外，肠道蠕虫感染儿童中47.2%的红细胞压积也<31%。营养不良的患病率为30.2%（80/265）。在80名营养不良儿童中，5.3%消瘦（身高别体重Z评分< - 2SD），7.2%体重不足（年龄别体重Z评分< - 2SD），24.2%发育迟缓（年龄别身高Z评分< - 2SD）。蠕虫感染儿童的所有人体测量指标平均值均较低。这项研究的结果强烈表明，迪班达儿童中存在肠道蠕虫感染和营养不良的情况，这构成了一个需要立即解决以降低发病率和死亡率的主要健康问题。
