Survey of intestinal parasitism among schoolchildren in internally displaced persons camp, Benin City, Nigeria

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are usually housed in camps and shanties with most creating ideal environments that enhance transmission of diseases and increase the risk of being infected with intestinal parasitic infections through ingestion of contaminated food and/or water. This research investigates the preponderance of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) among schoolchildren in IDP camp in Benin City. fecal samples were collected from 249 schoolchildren (134 males, 115 females) between ages 6–15years randomly sampled, processed using sedimentation method and viewed microscopically. Structured questionnaires were administered to obtain their demographic characteristics. Eight species of intestinal parasites (Entamoeba coli, E. histolytica, Ascaris lumbricoides, Cystoisospora belli, Giardia duodenalis, Trichuris trichiura, Strongyloides stercoralis and hookworms) were identified with an overall prevalence of 89.6% (223 of 249 children). Entamoeba histolytica 160 (64.3%), G. duodenalis 142 (57.0%), E. coli 103 (41.4%), S. stercoralis 85 (34.1%) and A. lumbricoides 79 (31.7%) were the most predominant parasites. Entamoeba histolytica was most prevalent in the different age groups- 16 (76.2%) 6–10years and 136 (69.4%) 11–15years (p>0.05), and in both genders; 82 (61.2%) in males and 78 (67.8%) in females followed by G. duodenalis 79 (59.0%) in males and 63 (54.8%) in females (p>0.05). The survey revealed that 111 (82.8%) males and 112 (97.4%) females were positive for one parasite or the other (p = 0.42). Infection rates documented in this study show the degree of parasitic infections among the children in the camp. This calls for improvement in health education, personal and environmental sanitation, food handling processes and drinkable water sources in the camp to effectively control the prevalence of IPIs.