Intestinal Helminthic Infections Among In Patients And Out-Patients Attending Federal Medical Centre Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

 A study on intestinal helminthic infections among in-patients and out-patients attending Federal Medical Centre Umuahia Abia state, Nigeria was carried out between March and October, 2006. A total of 550 stool samples were collected and examined using direct wet preparation. Forty-five (8.18%) of the patients were infected. The parasites identified were Ascaris lumbricoides (4.18%), hookworm (3.64%), Taenia spp. (0.18%) and Strongyloides stercoralis (0.18%). The highest prevalence of infection (10.28%) was observed in the age group 21- 30 years. More in-patients (8.23%) were infected than out-patients (8. 16%) but the difference was not statistically significance (P>0.05). The overall difference in distribution of different species of helminthes identified based on sex and on in-patients and out-patients sex related prevalence were statistically significance (P>O.05). Marital status of individuals had no significance effect (P>O.05) on the infection. The study revealed that the prevalence of helminthic infection in the study area is low.