Mahfouz A A, el-Morshedy H, Farghaly A, Khalil A
Department of Epidemiology, Alexandra University, Egypt.
J Trop Pediatr. 1997 Dec;43(6):341-4. doi: 10.1093/tropej/43.6.341.
Population growth in Egypt has led to the creation of several urban squatter settlements. The aim of the present work was to study the prevalence and some potential risk factors of intestinal parasitic infections among preschool children in a randomly chosen urban squatter settlement in Alexandria, Egypt. A house to house cross-sectional survey was conducted during late 1995. Data were collected through questionnaire interview regarding socio-demographic and environmental conditions from 1324 families residing in the settlement. Stool samples were collected from 658 preschool children below 5 years of age and examined for intestinal parasites. Overall, the prevalence rates of infections with the intestinal Helminths and Protozoa were 47.3 and 31.5 per cent, respectively, which were very high compared to previously reported figures for this age group in Egypt. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that certain groups of preschool children were much more likely to develop the infection with both groups of intestinal parasites. They included children over 2 years of age (OR = 2.75, 95 per cent CI = 1.23-4.12 and OR = 2.65, 95 per cent CI = 1.70-3.45 for Helminths and Protozoa, respectively), whose families had pools of sewage around houses (OR = 2.13, 95 per cent CI = 1.22-3.19 and OR = 2.83, 95 per cent CI = 1.45-3.95 for helminths and protozoa, respectively) and shared toilets with another family (OR = 1.95, 95 per cent CI = 1.38-2.75 and OR = 1.65, 95 per cent CI = 1.06-2.58 for Helminths and Protozoa, respectively). In addition, certain groups of children were much likely to develop protozoal infections including children whose families lacked tap water inside dwelling (OR = 1.85, 95 per cent CI = 1.26-2.77) and disposed human excreta in septic tank very close to the dwelling (OR = 2.17, 95 per cent CI = 1.43-3.75). Efforts to reduce intestinal parasites should focus on reducing exposures. Improvement in domestic water supplies with the introduction of piped sewerage system is likely to have a marked decreasing effect on the prevalence of infection among this age group.
埃及的人口增长导致了多个城市棚户区的形成。本研究的目的是调查埃及亚历山大港一个随机选取的城市棚户区学龄前儿童肠道寄生虫感染的患病率及一些潜在风险因素。1995年末进行了逐户横断面调查。通过问卷调查收集了居住在该棚户区的1324户家庭的社会人口学和环境状况数据。采集了658名5岁以下学龄前儿童的粪便样本，检测肠道寄生虫。总体而言，肠道蠕虫和原生动物感染率分别为47.3%和31.5%，与埃及此前报道的该年龄组数据相比非常高。多因素logistic回归分析显示，某些学龄前儿童群体更易感染这两类肠道寄生虫。其中包括2岁以上儿童（感染蠕虫和原生动物的OR值分别为2.75，95%CI为1.23 - 4.12；以及2.65，95%CI为1.70 - 3.45），其家庭房屋周围有污水坑（感染蠕虫和原生动物的OR值分别为2.13，95%CI为1.22 - 3.19；以及2.83，95%CI为1.45 - 3.95），且与另一家庭共用厕所（感染蠕虫和原生动物的OR值分别为1.95，95%CI为1.38 - 2.75；以及1.65，95%CI为1.06 - 2.58）。此外，某些儿童群体更易感染原生动物，包括家庭住宅内没有自来水的儿童（OR = 1.85，95%CI = 1.26 - 2.77）以及将人类排泄物排入离住宅很近的化粪池的儿童（OR = 2.17，95%CI = 1.43 - 3.75）。减少肠道寄生虫感染的措施应着重于减少接触。改善家庭供水并引入管道排水系统可能会显著降低该年龄组的感染率。
