Soil transmitted helminths infections in a rural community

Objectives Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are a type of neglected tropical disease that are responsible for the majority of infections worldwide. The most common STHs are Ascaris lumbricoides , hookworm, S. stercoralis, and Trichuris trichiura .The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of STHs in the Agbeyangi community and its associated risk factors. Material and Methods The study is a cross-sectional, community-based descriptive study. Total sampling of consenting participants was done in the community. The research was carried out between June to August of 2023. A validated self-administered questionnaire was used to capture information on socio-demographics. A fecal sample was collected in a test tube after obtaining consent from the parents/guardians, and samples were de-identified and coded. The coded samples were taken to the laboratory on the same day. Helminthes ova were quantitatively determined on slides per sample using the number of eggs per gram (epg) of feces. In order to calculate the amount of epg of feces, the number of helminth eggs was counted and multiplied by 24. Of these, 20% were chosen at random and read once more as a quality control measure and to verify the consistency of the outcome. Results Of the 500 respondents, those in the age range of 18-23 years had the highest response (161, 32.2%), followed by children between the ages 0-5 (137, 27.4%). Males were more prevalent (255, 51.0%) than females (245, 49.0%). The prevalence of STH was 13.2%. Hookworm (27, 40.91%) was the most prevalent species, followed by Entamoeba histolytica (19, 28.79%), the least being S. stercoralis (8, 12.12%). Risk factors for STH infection included the age range of 12-17 years, not wearing shoes, lack of awareness, lack of hand washing, and sources of drinking water (p<0.05). Conclusion Hookworm was the most common helminth infection in the community. However, STH was deemed to be low in the study area. Infection rates were considerably influenced by elements like age group, footwear use, awareness, and handwashing practices.