Comparative assessment of intestinal helminths prevalence in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) intervention and non-intervention communities in Abeokuta, Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: This study compared the prevalence of intestinal helminths in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) intervention and non-intervention communities in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Methods: Stool samples were collected from 225 respondents in a study carried out between July and November, 2014. Stool samples were examined for presence of helminths using Formol-Ether concentration method. Data collected from stool samples were analyzed using SPSS for Windows (version 16). Results: Results showed that, at the intervention community, 88 out of 113 respondents were infected with at least one helminth infection while at non-intervention community, 80 out of 112 respondents were infected. This result revealed overall helminth prevalence of 78% at Mawuko and 71% at Isolu. In both intervention (Mawuko) and non-intervention (Isolu) communities, hookworm was the most prevalent helminth observed (21% and 18%, respectively) followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (13% and 13%, respectively), Taenia sp. (4% and 3%, respectively) and Trichostrongylus sp. (1% and 3%, respectively). Cases of single infections of Trichuris trichiura, Strongyloides stercoralis and Hymenolepsis nana were observed only at the non-intervention community. However, S. stercoralis occurred in the multiple infections observed at the intervention community. Significantly more (p < 0.05) cases of infections were observed in male (46%) at the intervention community than female (31%) while in non-intervention community females (39%) were significantly (p < 0.05) more infected than their male counterparts (32%). Conclusions: This study concludes that the Community Led-Total Sanitation intervention programme, which was executed in Mawuko was not effective as expected.

Keywords

• Intestinal helminths
• WASH intervention
• Sanitation
• Infections
• Prevalence