Prevalence of Intestinal Helminthiasis in Children of Silvercity, Linden (Guyana)
Joenitta Arthur-McKenzie
University of Guyana, Georgetown, Guyana
Abdullah Adil Ansari *
University of Guyana, Georgetown, Guyana
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study was conducted in the Silvercity area, Linden (Guyana) and endeavored to determine the prevalence of intestinal helminthiasis in children aged 5-15 and the level of awareness of these parasitic infections among community members. Questionnaires were distributed to 30 households and 26 children from the population aged 5-15 years were selected using a simple random sampling method and tested during the months of February-April 2017 using the fecal wet mount and formalin ether sedimentation method. The mean age was 8 years. The results showed that 15 of 26 children were infected by helminths within the Silvercity area. Among the parasites found, Ascaris lumbricoides were greater in number (n =10) followed by Enterobius vermicularis (n = 5), Trichuris trichiura (n = 4) and hookworm (n =1). Study also found that the level of awareness of transmission among community members was 40%.
Keywords: Helminth, Linden, children, diagnosis, age