Prevalence of Intestinal Helminths in Typhoid Fever Patients in Okpokwu Local Government Area, Benue State, Nigeria

Oche Thompson Abah¹ , Abah Emmanuel Ada² , Adulugba Ode Abel³

1. Dept. of Science Laboratory Technology, Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, Nigeria.
2. Dept. of Science Laboratory Technology, Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, Nigeria.
3. Dept. of Science Laboratory Technology, Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, Nigeria.

Section:Research Paper, Product Type: Journal-Paper
Vol.10 , Issue.7 , pp.87-95, Jul-2024

Online published on Jul 31, 2024

Copyright © Oche Thompson Abah, Abah Emmanuel Ada, Adulugba Ode Abel . This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
 

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Abstract :
The present study investigated intestinal parasitosis among clinically diagnosed typhoid fever patients attending healthcare facilities in the Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Standard techniques including the Direct Wet Mount Technique, Formol-Ether Concentration Technique, and Modified Ziehl-Neelsen Method were employed for this research. A total of 436 typhoid fever patients consented and participated in the study. The prevalence rate among males was higher at 32.8% compared to 28.2% among females. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was 30.7%.The identified intestinal helminths and their prevalence were: Ascaris lumbricoides (7.34%), hookworm (4.13%), Strongyloidesstercoralis (3.21%), and Trichuris trichiura (2.06%), culminating in a total helminth prevalence of 16.74%. The highest prevalence rate of intestinal parasitosis was observed in the age group 31-40 years, at 35.4%. A significant association was found between intestinal parasite infection and age among typhoid fever patients (p = 0.002). Additionally, significant associations were identified between intestinal parasitosis and variables such as sex (p = 0.0024), type of toilet facility (p = 0.005), hand washing after toilet use (p = 0.00476), and source of drinking water (p = 0.028).Given that social factors like poverty and hygiene influence both diseases, it is imperative to educate the population on the importance of personal hygiene. Moreover, appropriate medications should be made available at reduced and affordable costs.

Key-Words / Index Term :
Intestinal helminths, Parasite, Ascaris lumbricoides, Infection, Typhoid Fever, Patients

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