Prevalence and associated risk factors of Entamoeba histolytica infection among school children from three primary schools in Arsi Town, West Zone, Ethiopia

AbstractEntamoeba histolytica is one of the major pathogenic intestinal parasites and is amongst the leading causes of diarrheal illness in children. Around 500 million people are infected worldwide, while 75,000 die of the disease annually.E. histolytica is associated with moderate to severe diarrhoea and increased mortality among children in African countries and negatively affects child growth and development. Malnutrition is also an important contributor to the prevalence ofE. histolytica in Ethiopia. It is mostly associated with poor hygiene, poverty, illiteracy, lack of access to potable water, and a hot, humid tropical climate. Thus, the present investigation was aimed to assess the prevalence rate and associated factors ofE. histolytica among schoolchildren in Arsi Town, West Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from February 1st to May 1st, 2020. A total number of 334 students were selected from three governmental elementary schools in the west zone using a systematic sampling method. A structured questionnaire was adopted to identify environmental, socio-demographic, and behavioral factors. Microscopically positive samples forE. histolytica cysts were further characterised using anE. histolytica II antigen detection kit. The statistical analysis of the data was done using SPSS software. A univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was done.P value  <  0.05 was considered statistically significant. The over...
Source: Journal of Parasitic Diseases - Category: Parasitology Source Type: research