International Journal of Medical and Dental Sciences
  • Year: 2013
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue: 2

A study of prevalence of worm infestation and associated risk factors among the school children of Dharan, Eastern Region of Nepal

  • Author:
  • Ram Billakshan Sah1,, PK Pokharel2, IS Paudel3, A Acharaya4, N Jha2
  • Total Page Count: 7
  • Page Number: 121 to 127

1Assistant professor, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, B P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal

2Professor, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, B P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal

3Additional Professor, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, B P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal

4Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Chitwan Medical College, Bharatpur, Nepal

*Correspondence to: Dr Ram Bilakshan Sah, +977-9804012728, Email: bilaksah@Yahoo.com

Online published on 5 July, 2013.

Abstract

Worm infestation has remained major zoonotic diseases in Nepal especially among children.

To measure the prevalence of worm infestation and to identify risk factors associated with worm infestation among the school children of Dharan.

A cross sectional study was conducted among school children of Dharan Stratified random sampling method was applied to choose the schools and the study subjects, The Chi-square test was used to measure the association of risk factors and worm infestation.

Overall prevalence of worm infestation among the school children was 11.3 percent. Taenia species was found very high (5.3%) in comparison to other worms i.e. Hookworm (2%), Ascaris lumbricoides (1.9%), Trichuris trichiura (1%), Hymenolepsis nana (0.7%) and Enterobius vermicularis (0.3%). No significant relationship was traced among the factors in the causation of worm infestation although slight indications present.

Overall prevalence of worm infestation among the school children has remained high.

Keywords

Dharan, Prevalence, Risk factors, School children, Worm infestation