Environmental Geohelminth Contamination

The study assessed the prevalence, intensity and risk factors affecting the transmission of soil transmitted helminthiasis among school-age children in Ifetedo, Osun State, Nigeria. It also assessed the types and abundance of helminth species in the soil of the area and evaluated the relationship between helminths contamination of soils and human infection patterns with the view to determining the patterns of transmission of the diseases in the area. The study involved stool and soil examination for infective stages of helminth parasites. Permission to conduct the study was sought and obtained from Ife South Local Government Education Authority. The stool samples were collected from school-age children and soil samples from ecologically important sites in selected schools. Five public primary schools were randomly selected for the study. Fifty percent of pupils in each class of each selected school were randomly included for the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on personal bio-data, characteristics of their home and school environment as well as their perception of soil transmitted infections.